Estate agents market Gorleston Ocean Room without a guide price
Estate agents have started to market a 1930s seaside music and dance venue for sale - but have not listed a guide price to potential buyers.Great Yarmouth Borough Council voted in March to sell the freehold of the Art Deco Ocean Room in Gorleston, after it closed in 2024.A non-invasive structural report identified defects that could cost £800,000 to remedy, but warned that the cost could double if a full invasive survey was carried out.Guy Gowing, senior partner at Arnolds Keys, said: "The building does require refurbishment and investment, but its wonderful location and rich history make this a very attractive prospect for serious players in the leisure and tourism sector."
Built in 1939 as the Floral Hall, the Ocean Room is a distinctive rotunda building, and for the past 50 years has operated as a night club and function venue.It has played host to acts including Rag'n'Bone Man, Blur and Mike Tyson, and featured in the Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle Beatles-inspired film, Yesterday.The 15,000 sq ft seafront building includes a 10,000 sq ft circular main entertainment area as well as bars and kitchens, and a large south-facing terrace accessed from the promenade and beach.
'Unique opportunity'
The venue is being marketed with potential in leisure, healthcare or nursery use, which are permitted under the existing planning permission.But as well as expressing financial offers, interested parties will have to demonstrate they have sufficient funding in place to meet the cost of extensive repairs.Mr Gowing said he had already received expressions of interest from local and national leisure operators.He added: "This unique opportunity allows for the creation of a prominent bar, restaurant, or other leisure facility, enhancing Gorleston's appeal as a tourist destination."The property is being sold by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, who fully support its refurbishment and redevelopment."The landmark building offers the opportunity to create a 'key leisure venue which will add value to Gorleston's tourist offering' once it has been refurbished and redeveloped."
Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- The Herald Scotland
Bilson Eleven chef on move to Princes Square restaurant
'It's just gorgeous inside, with all the wooden bannisters and the lovely glass ceiling. 'My sister visited me recently with her son, and they had never been, so I took them up that long escalator from Buchanan Street. You know, the one that feels kind of like a stairway to heaven or something? 'When you get to the top, you're greeted by the whole shebang of it. It's such an amazing place.' Pictured: Zibibbo is the latest venture from the team behind Ralph & Finns, Vroni's Wine Bar and Malo. (Image: Supplied) A relatively new addition to Princes Square's collection of luxury retail stores and entertainment offerings, Zibibbo opened late last year with a Mediterranean-inspired menu and extensive wine list. While Rietz now heads up their kitchen, many will recognise him as the former chef-owner of Bilson Eleven, a Michelin Guide-recommended neighbourhood restaurant which he ran in Dennistoun for close to eight years. Asked why the venture's time had come to an end in 2024, he said: 'I wouldn't go as far as to say you're rolling the dice when opening a restaurant, but there will always be forces you can't control. "If you're not able to adapt very quickly, it can be really tough. "Being in the East End was especially hard because we relied on people making their way there to dine with us. 'There aren't a lot of hotels, so they had to travel that little bit further. 'We relied heavily on tourism in Glasgow, and after covid and the start of the cost-of-living crisis, people visiting the city for conferences or events seemed to drop away.' Pictured: Chef Nick Rietz at Bilson Eleven in 2023 (Image: newsquest) Evolving to suit the needs of customers, for a time, Rietz and his team rebranded as relaxed brunch spot, Bilson's in an effort to stay in business. 'We decided to try running Bilson's as a café to see if we could cut costs and bring a different vibe to it,' he continued. 'It was slow to begin with, until an influencer came in and made a TikTok, which kicked things off a bit. 'Then, unfortunately, we had a few family issues, which meant I was often travelling back down south, and we could only open on Saturdays and Sundays. 'We lost a fair bit of clientele because of sporadic opening times, and to be honest, our hearts just weren't in it, so we started to look at exit strategies.' Read more: And so, Glasgow's East End said its last goodbye to the fine dining restaurant which had for years made headlines for its funky interiors and inventive menus led by the best of Scottish seasonal produce. A return visit to Princes Square, however, would soon set Rietz on a new path. Pictured: Zibibbo is located in the courtyard space at Princes Square (Image: Supplied) 'I hadn't heard much about Zibibbo other than it being a new bar and restaurant in Princes Square from the people behind Ralph & Finns," he said. 'When I came to see the unit myself, it had such a cool vibe, and as soon as I met with the owners, I knew it would be the perfect fit. 'I came in as a sous chef at first in January of this year, and that's really all I was looking for after Bilson. 'I wanted to ease myself back into the 'gigging' game, but later, when their head chef said he was leaving, they asked me to take on the role.' Pictured: Rietz soon knew Zibibbo was 'a perfect fit' (Image: Supplied) Officially announcing Rietz as the venue's new head chef in April, Zibibbo owner Emma MacSween said: 'I am very excited to be working with Rietz after knowing of the success he had with his own venture at Bilson Eleven. 'We have this stunning venue, brilliant staff and a new exciting menu. 'It's a sign of good things to come.' Just a few months later, this prediction already rings true with Rietz having found his feet with a new team and taking full advantage of being given creative 'carte blanche' for the summer ahead. 'Moving into a new season, you can definitely see a lot more of my stamp on the dishes,' he said. 'For example, there's a feather blade steak which we're cooking in Rioja and cayenne pepper that's sat simply on cucumber with lime zest through it to contrast heat with cool freshness. 'Or a bergamot posset topped with wee limoncello meringue and pistachios. 'These are all ingredients I've never had the chance to work with before, and I'm really excited about it. 'At Bilson Eleven, it was all very much Scottish seasonality, and although we had outside influences, we would never use something like aged balsamic or truffles. 'At Zibibbo, we've really honed in on the Mediterranean vibe, which means vegetables like peppers and courgettes and continental cheese like burrata. 'It's lovely to work with so many different flavours and see how I can fit them into my style.' Zibibbo is located on the basement level of Princes Square at 48 Buchanan Street, Glasgow. For more information, visit
Fashion United
3 days ago
- Fashion United
Casablanca anchors itself in Paris with first flagship on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
Casablanca, the luxury brand founded by Charaf Tajer, has opened its inaugural flagship store in Paris, choosing the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré as its entry into physical retail. The opening signals more than a retail expansion and underscores the brand's ambition to solidify its cultural and commercial footprint in one of the world's most historically significant fashion capitals. The location, on a corner plot within Paris's prestigious 8th arrondissement on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, is a high-value corridor for global luxury, home to maisons such as Hermès and Chanel, and long associated with international cachet. For emerging houses like Casablanca, the street offers not just visibility but a validation within the fashion hierarchy. A high-value corridor for global luxury Paris is, of course, a critical base for fashion brands, not only as a global destination for tourism and luxury shopping, but also as the centre of haute couture, institutional credibility, and artistic heritage. Real estate along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré carries both financial and narrative weight; obtaining a retail foothold here is rare, especially for young labels. For Tajer, a Paris native raised in the multicultural Belleville neighbourhood, the store is also personal. 'Five or six years ago, I said, 'I want a corner on that street,' and everyone said it was impossible,' he recounts. 'Opening this store is like coming home—but more than that, it's about bringing something new to Paris, something progressive.' The three-level boutique, designed with Steve Grimes (Casablanca's brand art director), London-based Counterfeit Studio, and Morocco's Elements Lab, reflects the brand's recurring themes of sport, cinema, and cultural duality. Its design references range from the classical—arched niches, Haussmannian limestone, and Carrara marble mosaics—to the cinematic and speculative, such as a Kubrick-inspired lightbox ceiling and a sculptural tennis court that binds the store's two upper floors. Casablanca boutique, Paris Credits: Benoit Florençon The aesthetic interplay of old and new, luxury and sport, Paris and Casablanca, is deliberate. The lower level is wrapped in plush green carpet that climbs walls and curves across transparent display cases, designed as both retail fixtures and collectible art. On the ground floor, a palette of rich red, green, and blue interrupts the neutral architecture, offering a visual articulation of the brand's DNA: bold yet refined, heritage-conscious yet forward-looking. The flagship follows seven years of steady brand growth, largely defined by Casablanca's distinctive blend of Mediterranean leisurewear, graphic storytelling, and aspirational positioning. With its retail debut, the brand transitions from being digitally native and stockist-driven to establishing a direct-to-consumer, immersive environment. 'I'm not a dreamer—I'm a man of projects,' Tajer says. 'This isn't just a store. It's proof of what's possible.' A second flagship is due to open in Beverly Hills later this summer.
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Beloved luxury chocolate brand RETURNS to supermarkets after five years with new viral bar
Clubcard holders are being treated to a great discount CHOCO LOT Beloved luxury chocolate brand RETURNS to supermarkets after five years with new viral bar Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A LUXURY chocolate brand is marking its return to supermarkets with a limited edition flavour. Godiva, which is exclusively sold at high-end retailers like Harrods, will be flogging its Dubai-style chocolate bars at Tesco. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Godiva is stocked in high-end stores such as Harrods and Selfridges Credit: Dubai-style chocolate features layers of rich pistachio cream and crunchy kadayif pastry, encased in smooth milk chocolate. The 100-year-old Belgian brand is now owned by Pladis, which also has McVities and Jacob's in its repertoire. It was quick to jump on the Dubai chocolate bandwagon and in 2024, Pladis Türkiye launched it's own range which sold 3,000 tones in the first four months of launching. Godiva goodies haven't been available to the masses for five years and were only available in Harrods, Selfridges, and its Covent Garden flagship store. read more on tesco FIRE DEAL Tesco slashes the price of summer garden essential from £80 to £24 A Godiva spokesperson, said: 'Global influences are increasingly reshaping the snacking industry, as consumers seek more adventurous and authentic culinary experiences. "The popularity of Dubai-style chocolate is a clear example of how international flavours are crossing borders and becoming mainstream." Godiva's Dubai-inspired chocolate bar will be £10 or £7.95 for Clubcard customers in Tesco stores across the country. Back in 2017, Sainsbury's customers were treated to the luxury Belgian chocolate for just £1.50 per bar. The Godiva Masterpieces range included three chocolate bars - two milk chocolate treats with a smooth caramel filling and a creamy hazelnut praline filling and one dark chocolate bar with a ganache filling. This comes as Lidl launched a Dubai Style Chocolate Cream spread and it was in such high demand that the store placed a three-jar-per-person limit. The Della Sante Dubai Style Chocolate Cream spread combines the flavours of the insanely popular chocolate but in spreadable form. We've outdone ourselves with this one' say Cadbury Ireland as they reveal new limited edition bar 'coming soon That means you can slather it on toast, pile it onto pancakes, dip fruit in it or even spoon it from the jar. The sweet and salty pots cost £4.99 or £3.99 for Lidl Plus members, which is far more expensive than the store's other chocolate spreads. One shared a snap of the toast topping on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group. Followers flocked to the comment section to tag friends and family in the post. Lidl has said it will be available "while stocks last" - so you may want to get in quick. When Lidl launched its Dubai-style chocolate bar back in March, shoppers were queuing outside shops to get a taste. The Sun spotted a queue outside the Gosport, Hampshire, store at 8am with shoppers eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Chocolate fans have been going crazy for supermarket dupes of the expensive Dubai chocolate bars and they've been going viral on social media. Lidl's version was the cheapest when it was brought out at £3.99.
