Iconic and Award Winning Free Of Tie Dorset Country Pub With A High Turnover & Exceptional Profits

The Sailor’s Return is an impressive and award-winning destination thatched country pub. With origins reputedly dating back to the 18th Century, The Sailor’s Return is an impressive Grade II listed inn, which is presented to an extremely high standard throughout. The inn is renowned for its ambience of character and warmth, retaining much charm and character, within a superior trading environment, which has been significantly improved in recent years with investment by the current tenant. This high-quality destination country village pub briefly comprises:- Main Bar (24 ), Character Dining Areas (29 ), Main Restaurant (22 ), and a Commercial Catering Kitchen with extensive back up facilities. The delightful owner’s accommodation comprises 2 Double Bedrooms, Lounge, and a Bathroom. Externally, the property benefits from a Car Park for around 30 vehicles, an attractive lawned Beer Garden with seating for 50 customers and Outbuildings for storage. An adjacent Paddock Field provides Overflow Carparking and an Owner’s Private Garden Area. The Sailor’s Return is undoubtedly a very special place to live and work, and a viewing is strongly recommended to fully appreciate all that this quintessential thatched English country inn has to offer.

SITUATION

The Sailor’s Return is a stunning and well-regarded landmark pub occupying an idyllic position on the edge of the delightful Dorset village of Chaldon Herring (also known as East Chaldon), a short distance inland, (approximately 2 miles), from the magnificent Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nestled in the heart of rural Dorset, the charming village of Chaldon Herring, is within an area renowned for its timeless countryside character, surrounded by rolling farmland and picturesque walking routes. The Sailor’s Return enjoys an idyllic location around 4 miles from Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and virtually equidistant between the county town of Dorchester and the Saxon town of Wareham which are around 20 minutes’ drive, and offer an excellent range of facilities including shops, schools, leisure facilities and mainline railway stations to London Waterloo. The coastal town of Weymouth with its award-winning sandy beach, quaint harbour and marina is also around 20 minutes’ drive. There are a wealth of activities and outdoor pursuits in the area, including walking, swimming, fishing, sailing and boating.

INTERNAL DETAILS

Main customer entrance door leading from the car park into;

MAIN BAR an attractive character room with flagstone flooring, feature vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, feature lighting, range of freestanding wooden tables, chairs, sofas and stools comfortably seating 24 customers plus adequate standing room. Timber fronted and polished timber topped BAR SERVERY fitted with associated back bar fittings, display shelving, non-slip flooring, 2 double glass fronted bottle fridges and EPOS touch screen till system.

FURTHER SERVERY AREA & WAITRESS STATION with non-slip flooring, wine racking, single glass fronted bottle fridge, stainless steel sink, glasswasher, 3 door commercial counter fridge unit, open storage cupboards, shelving and an espresso machine.

SNUG DINING ROOM another attractive character room  with flagstone flooring, exposed ceiling timbers, feature lighting, freestanding wooden tables, chairs and upholstered settle seating comfortably for 11 customers.

TABLE ONE a cosy dining area with flagstone flooring, exposed ceiling timbers, feature fireplace (disused), feature lighting, wooden topped table and upholstered chairs seating 6 customers.

MAIN RESTAURANT a split-level dining area with a continuation in style theme, ambience and character with flagstone flooring, part exposed stone walls, feature lighting, freestanding wooden topped tables and chairs comfortably seating 22 customers.

OLD KITCHEN DINING ROOM again another attractive room with carpeted flooring, part exposed ceiling timbers, freestanding tables and upholstered chairs and bench seating comfortably for 12 customers.

CUSTOMER WC’s.

BEER CELLAR temperature controlled with a 6-barrel tilt, wine racking, shelving and dray access to the side.

COMMERCIAL CATERING KITCHEN with non-slip flooring, part stainless steel  and part wipe clean clad walls, and being fully equipped to an extremely high standard with a comprehensive range of commercial catering equipment to include;- extraction system with stainless steel canopy and gas interlock system, 8 burner gas range, twin floor standing deep fat fryer, eye level grill, chargrill, Rational combi oven, twin table top deep fat fryer, single table top deep fat fryer, range of stainless steel workbenches with shelving below, plate warming cabinet, stainless steel racked shelving, 3 door commercial counter fridge unit, saladette, 2 commercial microwave ovens, warming cabinet with shelved serving gantry and warming lamps over, upright freezer, under counter fridge, stainless steel shelving, 2 door commercial counter fridge unit, twin deep bowl stainless steel sink unit, commercial pass through dishwasher with tray slide, single deep bowl stainless steel sink unit, stainless steel hand basin and door to the service yard.

UTILITY AREA with non-slip flooring, stainless steel racked shelving units, washing machine, and tumble dryer.

SERVICE YARD AREA leading directly from the kitchen with a WALK IN FRIDGE and a WALK IN FREEZER and the BIN STORE AREA.

OWNER’S ACCOMMODATION

The owner’s accommodation is located on the first floor and provides a lovely living space. The accommodation comprises a SITTING ROOM with aspect to the front, BEDROOM1 a good-sized double bedroom with triple aspect windows to the front and side and a hanging area/wardrobe. BEDROOM 2 a double room with aspect to the front. BATHROOM with a bath and shower over.

EXTERNAL DETAILS

To the front of the pub is a LARGE CUSTOMER CAR PARK with space for over 30 vehicles. To the rear of the pub is a feature CUSTOMER BEER GARDEN with attractive lawned and paved patio areas providing outside seating for 50 customers. WORKSHOP & STORE. There is an adjacent PADDOCK FIELD which provides additional OVERFLOW CUSTOMER PARKING and an OWNER’S PRIVATE GARDEN SPACE with a vegetable patch.

SERVICES

We are advised that the property is connected to mains drainage, water and electricity. LPG is used for cooking and heating.

INVENTORY

To include all trade furnishings and equipment in accordance with an inventory to be supplied but excluding any owners’ personal effects.

THE BUSINESS

The Sailor’s Return is a renowned and extremely well-regarded, high-quality freehouse. Exceptionally well presented throughout, this highly successful country village inn exudes character and is equipped and furnished to an extremely high standard throughout. This is a stunning destination pub restaurant and the high standards inherent throughout all areas of the business ensure excellent levels of regular repeat business and word of mouth recommendations. With an enviable reputation and excellent levels of year-round repeat trade, the business attracts customers from around the world. This quintessential thatch English country pub is at the centre of the local community and attracts trade from the surrounding towns and villages as well as further afield, benefitting from walkers, day trippers, tourists, and visitors to the area with numerous campsites, B&B’s and holiday lets locally. The business has its own website www.sailorsreturnpub.com which provides further background information. The business has been awarded Beer Drinkers Pub of the Year by West Dorset CAMRA and has also received a Travellers Choice Award from Trip Advisor. It is also listed in the Good Beer Guide and featured in the Daily Telegraph’s 500 Best Pubs in England, and Hello Magazine’s Top 10 Pubs in the UK. The pub also benefits from numerous excellent reviews on Google. The Sailor’s Return is run by our clients with the assistance of 3 full-time chefs and up to 8 part-time/seasonal members of staff. The sale of The Sailor’s Return represents an excellent opportunity to purchase a well-established and well-regarded stunning character village pub with consistently strong levels of trade and significant profits, in an extremely desirable area.

OPENING HOURS

The Sailor’s Return trades from 12pm – 2.30pm and 5.30pm – 10pm Wednesday to Saturday and from 12pm – 8pm on Sunday. The business is closed all day on Monday and Tuesday.

TRADING INFORMATION

Accounts for the year ending 31st March 2026 show sales of £448,865 net of VAT with strong net profits being achieved. Full detailed accounts can be made available following a formal viewing appointment.

POTENTIAL

The business has shown consistent growth in trade during our client’s ownership but still offers further potential. There are opportunities to increase the current trading hours and trade 7 day a week, there are also opportunities to introduce all day opening, particularly in the summer, and build upon the excellent levels of trade already established by our clients.

EPC

Requested and to be confirmed.

TRANSFER OF A GOING CONCERN

The sale of the property includes the goodwill of the business and trade inventory and will be subject to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE).

TENURE

The property is held on a 20 year, full repairing and insuring, Wellington Pub Company lease effective from June 2014. The lease benefits from security of tenure and is FREE OF TIE. The current rent is £52,953 per annum plus VAT, paid quarterly in advance. The adjacent paddock field is rented separately from Lulworth Estate for £1,620 per annum plus VAT.

COUNCIL TAX

The owner’s accommodation is band B.

RATEABLE VALUE

2026 List: £20,900. Please note this is not the rates payable and interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries with the local billing authority.