A world-famous pub has been sold for $140m (Australian dollars) after interest from Cotswolds TV chef Rick Stein.
The Oaks Hotel in Australia's Neutral Bay, one of Sydney’s most famous pubs, has been sold in a blockbuster deal
A sprawling lower north shore venue known simply as The Oaks, the spot was long owned by the Thomas family.
It had previously been touted with a price tag of about $175 million when it was first put on the market several years ago.
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Local reports in Australia say the freehold has now changed hands in a confidential sale understood to be in the region of $140 million, matching the second-highest pub transaction ever recorded nationally.
The Oaks, which dates back to the 1930s, is famous for its huge central oak tree, vast beer garden and busy dining and sports areas, and has become a destination for visiting celebrities and food lovers.
Among its admirers is TV chef Rick Stein, who was born in Oxfordshire's Churchill, growing up in the Cotswolds.
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The celebrity chef is such a fan of the Australian hospitality spot that he previously joked about a rumour of him being interested in buying it.
In an interview last year with Broadsheet, he said: "It's a firm favourite of ours and normally the first and last place that we have dinner when we arrive and depart Australia.
"There was a persistent rumour that I had bought [The Oaks] for $175 million – if only!"
Mr Stein, who divides his time between Australia and the UK, has built a restaurant empire from his Cornish base but retains close ties to New South Wales through his Bannisters venues and regular trips to Sydney.
