Scottish Michelin Star restaurant with ‘excellent food’ listed for sale

This will be the first time it has been on the market since 2006 when it was bought by Geoffrey and Katherine Smeddle from David and Patricia Wilson, who ran the restaurant for 35 years. On sale with Christie & Co., the freehold business is on sale for an undisclosed sum and the firm say the business has a ‘prominent roadside location, is an established profitable business and comes with a four bedroom owners accommodation.’

Simon Watson, Business Agent at Christie & Co who is managing the sale, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to work with Geoffrey and Katherine Smeddle on this prestigious assignment. The Peat Inn is one of the most established and celebrated venues in Scotland and can continue to be so in new hands. It has been a ‘go to’ restaurant for many from the area and internationally, be it for celebrations or business, and a buyer may well be a previous customer who will now be able to have the prestige of owning this iconic venue.”

Having won Scotland’s first ever Michelin star back in the 80s, the Inn is run by head chef Geoffrey Smeddle, who takes full advantage of the wonderful region of Fife to source only the best ingredients. The menu focuses on some of the best seafood and game dishes that this area is famed for.

The Michelin Guide has this to say about the longstanding, award-winning restaurant: “Geoffrey and Katherine Smeddle have run this restaurant since 2006, but the history of this whitewashed inn extends back to the 18C. Geoffrey is an experienced and knowledgeable chef who has built up a close web of suppliers which, in conjunction with the seasons, virtually writes the menu. Expect to find ingredients like East Neuk crab, Black Isle lamb and Easter Grangemuir Farm strawberries. All of these are put to great use in vibrant, flavoursome dishes. Stylish, split-level bedrooms are available too, with breakfast served in your room.”

The Good Food Guide called the Peat Inn 'the grandfather of refined dining in the Neuk.' They also say: "successive refurbishment has brought the former tavern sharp, vibrant interiors befitting a high standard of dining, while delicately crafted plates including wild turbot baked with lime and ceviche of local lobster speak elegantly of the nearby coastline. Produce grown a few miles inland, features throughout."

Fans of the restaurant may fear its closure due to the sale, but it’s hoped that new owners will continue to run it as the successful restaurant with rooms business that it has been for years. This news comes after weeks of restaurant closures, including the Boath House in Nairn, the Lookout by Gardner’s Cottage in Edinburgh and 33 Ashton Lane in Glasgow.