A mystery buyer has snapped up at auction the building which housed the Lavender House in Brundall – and has revealed what they are going to do with it.
The thatched property on The Street sold for slightly over the guide price of £210,000 in the Auction House sale in Norwich.
The buyer, who did not want to be named, owns a current restaurant in Norwich and revealed she wants to open an Italian restaurant in the building. But she will be closing the current restaurant to open the new one.
"I'm very excited and a little bit flabbergasted that I managed to buy it as I've never bought anything at auction before and I've always been too shy to go to an auction," she told this newspaper.
MORE: Restaurant goes up for sale for £210,000
"I'm very passionate about starting an Italian restaurant, I want people to feel like they are in Italy when they come through the door."
She said a renovation of the property would begin with the new restaurant to open in the New Year.
Robert Hurst, auction manager at Auction House, said: "It's very exciting for the people of Brundall."
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The Lavender House ran for about a decade under renowned chef Richard Hughes, who is now director at the Assembly House in Norwich.
The property later became an Indian restaurant called Masala Cottage until this business closed down in May. Mr Hughes decided to sell despite many people asking him to re-open it as his restaurant and recently the current owner put it up for auction.
Today's auction of about 60 lots held at the Dunston Hall Hotel in Norwich saw a block of 27 apartments on Marine Parade in Yarmouth fail to sell for a guide of between £250,000-£280,000 and The Old Bell pub, Saham toney, also did not sell and is still available for £350,000.
The majority of lots sold in the room including a shop at the city end of St Augustine's Street, which went under the hammer for £52,000, and another retail property on Hall Road which sold for £80,000.
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