Award-winning Kent chef buys Canterbury's Ivy House

Award-winning Kent chef Nigel Morris and his wife Bridget are the new owners of the Ivy House in Tyler Hill near Canterbury which he plans to transform into a food-led country pub.

The detached property, which was bought as a vacant possession, is sited in Hackington Road in the hamlet of Tyler Hill, which is on the edge of the ancient Blean Woods just two miles north of Canterbury.

It comprises a main trade area to seat up to 50 customers, a 20-seat patio, three-bedroom owners' accommodation and a small car park.

Morris was the former tenant of Shepherd Neame's Dove Inn in Dargate near Faversham for 10 years, where he collected a clutch of accolades including the Good Pub Guide's Kent Dining Pub of the Year, Shepherd Neame Pub Restaurant of the Year, and recognition from Michelin and veteran food critic Egon Ronay.

The Maidstone office of Christie + Co sold the freehold off a guide price of £425,000 on behalf of Oscar Low, owner of the Oslo Group of Companies.

By Angela Frewin