A CITY centre wine bar has gone on the market - with a £1.2 million price tag.

The sale of family-owned Plonkers Wine Bar, in Cumberland Street, includes the freehold of the long-established business along with the fixtures and fittings, plus the stock at valuation.

Malcolm Goodwin, who runs the venue with his wife Eileen and their daughter Leann, said it was time for them to move on after about 30 years in the business.

“Eileen is 73. I am 68. We want some time to do things, and Leann doesn’t want to run it on her own. We decided to sell last year but coronavirus put everything on hold.

“To hurry it on, we have gone public rather than keeping it discreet. We didn’t want to upset staff and customers but we can’t carry on forever.”

Plonkers attracts a loyal following for its food and drink, riverside setting, live music and quiz nights. It has gone on the market with Barry Crux and is described as a ‘thriving outlet and highly profitable’, with up to 82 covers over two floors, with external space for 40 covers.

Malcolm said there were many highlights for potential buyers to consider.

“Because we have been working on getting local business rather than relying on the tourist trade, you get two bites of the apple.”

He added: “It is a freehold. They would own the property, rather than having a landlord dictating who they can buy beer from; they can shop around. And we have a loyal customer base.”

Malcolm said he was looking forward to seeing more of his family once they sell.

“I have a son, Kieran, in Australia. I want to be able to go and see him and my grandchildren which is difficult to do when you are running a business.”

Plonkers’ riverside location means it has previously hit the headlines, such as during the 2015 floods, but Malcolm said they were an inconvenience more than anything.

“The floods are inconvenient because you are not trading. But because we have got the bar set up that well, we get very little damage from flooding due to how it’s set up with the cellar being on the top floor.”