First Merrie England is sold and set to reopen next month after cafes closed back in August
One of the recently closed Merrie England locations in West Yorkshire has been sold out of liquidation to a local family business owner.
A well-known Merrie England coffee shop and drive-thru in Huddersfield is set to be upgraded and reopen in October.
The coffee shop and drive-thru on New Hey Road in Oakes has been acquired by the Bowley family, owners of Horticentre Garden Centre in Wakefield, which also includes the SeedRoom café and bistro.
Horticentre founder and director Martin Bowley has acquired the Merrie England brand, together with the lease and assets of the New Hey Road business, and plans to reopen the coffee shop and drive-thru in October, after investing to modernise the site.
Mr Bowley said: “We are really excited about the future for the Oakes coffee shop.
"We plan to make a major investment in modernising the site, while keeping the unique style and décor of the Merrie England brand that customers know and love.
“People will be happy to know that we will only be making minor changes to the menu and all the traditional favourites will remain, including hot beef sandwiches, apple pie and custard tart, along with excellent coffee, of course.
“We are also hoping to be able to employ many of the original team, to provide continuity for customers and to help us return Merrie England to its status as a great coffee shop experience.”
The sale follows the closure of Merrie England’s seven West Yorkshire sites in August, including the cafes in Halifax and Brighouse as well as the Merrie England Express at Halifax Bus Station.
Dave Broadbent of BTG and David Robson of Gaines Robson were appointed as joint liquidators of Merrie England Coffee Shops Limited on August 11. BPI Asset Advisory was instructed to market the business and its assets for sale.
The New Hey Road café in Oakes is the first of the former Merrie England sites to be sold, with the transaction securing its future as a coffee shop and drive-thru.
David Robson said: “We’re really pleased that this much-loved Merrie England coffee shop has found a buyer and will continue to serve the quality food it is known for.
“There has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to secure the sale, and BTG, Gaines Robson, BPI Asset Advisory and Clarion Solicitors all worked closely as a team to get the transaction over the line.
"It is particularly pleasing to see the Oakes site returning to trading under new ownership and we wish the Bowley family every success with their new venture.”