A former creative design company director and head chef have transformed a B&B in South Hams Devon into a stylish guest house, with bank funding.
Alistair Veness and Scott Browning, purchased and refurbished the eight-room property in Higher Town, Malborough near Salcombe, after securing a six-figure funding package from NatWest.
Known previously as The Lodge, the building has undergone an extensive three-month refurbishment and has relaunched as Brightham House B&B, with bookings now being taken.
Brightham House also features a garden, sun terrace, lounge, bar and daily à la carte breakfasts.
Partners Alistair and Scott, who left their jobs to start their own B&B business, hope to turnover around £100,000 in their first year of trading and will employ people from within the local community. The pair have also used local tradesmen wherever possible during the refurbishment process.
Alistair Veness, co-owner of Brightham House, said: “It has been a dream to own and run our own B&B business for some time now and as soon as we saw the site on Higher Town we just knew it had bags of potential.
“Thanks to funding from NatWest we’ve not only been able to purchase the property, but we’ve also been able to totally transform it, turning it from a tired and drab looking B&B into a stylish and welcoming boutique guest house. We can’t wait to welcome guests to Brightham House.”
NatWest Relationship Manager, Mark Gilbert, said: “Alistair and Scott are extremely passionate about what they do. Brightham House is a great example of how our support has helped transform an empty property into what will be a thriving business, creating new jobs and attracting investment locally. We wish them both the best of luck.”