The pub has been with the same family for more than 70 years
The Royal Oak in Ockbrook is set to have new owners after 73 years being in the same family(Image: The Royal Oak)
The future of a much-loved Derbyshire pub has been secured almost two years after it first went on the market.
The 18th Century Royal Oak at Ockbrook, owned by Sally Parrott and Steve and Jean Hornbuckle, was first touted for sale in September 2024 after being in the family for more than 70 years.
Sally, who was born at the pub, and Jean, who still lives in the pub, inherited the place from their parents, Lew and Olive Wilson, believe the time is right to move on – and the news is good after the sale of the Royal Oak has been agreed, but with a twist, turning it into a gastropub.
“We are delighted that a couple is taking on the pub and wants to take it onto the next chapter in its life as a gastropub,” said Sally. “They seem to have some really good ideas.
“But at the same time they want to keep the more traditional aspects of the pub and some of the rooms, as well as skittles and other things that are special to this pub.
Olive and Lew Wilson when they marked 40 years at the pub
“We feel we have done as much as we can with the pub and it needs younger people coming in taking it forward. We will probably still be living in the village and so will be able to see for ourselves what happens.”
According to Sally, it was the Covid-19 pandemic which made them realise that it was time for change.
She said: “For the first time, the front door was shut, with no customers and it felt very weird.
“We were stuck at home but felt like we were missing out and the first feeling of wanting to leave started to form and now we are looking forward to it.”
But Sally says that it could be a few months before the paperwork goes through for the sale and in the meantime it will give the family chance to pack up more than seven decades of memorabilia.
She said: “There is a lifetime and more of items in the pub and with them lots of memories.
“We have decided that on May 10, as part of the annual Ockash trail, we will put some of the memorabilia out on show at the pub and see if anyone is interested in buying items.”
The pub’s buyers, who wish to remain anonymous currently, have been described by Sally as “passionate” about making a success of the pub.
She said: “They have a lot of good ideas and I think people will like what they want to do with the place and still retain its tradition.”
A previous beer festival three years ago
When the pub in Green Lane first went on the market, it attracted some attention but the family was determined to try to find the “right buyers”.
After 18 months, they decided to drop the price to £950,000 but it has not been revealed what it has been finally sold for, and changed estate agent to Alistair Ruddle, of Borrowash-based Everington & Ruddle.
Mr Ruddle said: “As the pub business is not as buoyant as it used to be, it has been quite difficult to sell. But hopefully, we are there now and reducing the price was a good move.”
The pub’s reputation for beer choice and quality spreads well beyond Derbyshire – it was one of only a handful of pubs that had been in the annual Good Beer Guide for more than 40 unbroken years and has been a regular winner of the Derby branch of CAMRA’s “out of town” pub of the year award.
It was omitted from the Good Beer Guide last year only on the grounds that Derby CAMRA believed it would imminently change hands, which had of course yet to happen.
Meanwhile it remains business as usual at the pub, which hosts a wide range of visiting groups and societies in the function room, car club gatherings in the car park and musical events as well as serving food every day. The annual beer festival is currently taking place.
Sally added: “We are looking forward to a change of lifestyle but we know it will be a sad day when we finally leave although we are agreed we are ready to move on.”
