Hoochie Coochie, a city centre bar and live music venue in Newcastle, has been sold.

Opened in 2011, Hoochie Coochie is an award-winning venue designed for people to enjoy funk, soul, and jazz music in the heart of Newcastle. The bar is located on Pilgrim Street and is licensed to open until 2am Friday-Saturday, and 1am Monday-Thursday.

It came to the market after former owner Warren Thomson wanted to retire after 13 years running the business.

Formerly a restaurant, the new owners intend to bring the kitchen back in to use and re-introduce a food offering.

The nearby area includes a multi-million-pound business, leisure and hospitality redevelopment scheme, comprising the luxury Hotel Gotham, STACK and other independent leisure operators at Worswick Chambers, as well as the HMRC office building which is under construction.

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David Cash, Regional Director for Pubs & Restaurants at Christie & Co, handled the sale and said, “Hoochie Coochie is a stalwart of the live music scene in Newcastle, and UK-wide. The location is second to none and Pilgrim St, already a very popular licensed circuit, is set to become even busier with all of the development going on this side of the city. We were met with much interest for the site and have a number of disappointed applicants looking for alternative licensed venues in the city centre.”

Warren Thomson, owner of Hoochie Coochie said: “I opened and launched Hoochie Coochie in 2011, as a venue to showcase and promote music of black origin in Newcastle. Over the past 13 years, we have hosted over 1,000 gigs with local national and international musicians, right up to Grammy winners. We have enjoyed unbelievable performers and stunning musicians and have been able to share this with music lovers, who’ve become friends. We achieved this whilst donating our small profits to charities.

“The HC brand and reputation means an awful lot to me so, to be handing over to friends, musicians and customers, gives me the greatest pleasure and I am incredibly confident in their ability to carry it forward.”

Michael Lavery, Managing Director of the new ownership team added, “We want to build on the legacy of Warren and his team and invest in the venue as an important cultural institution for the city.

“While people can expect to see many of the same faces and the same great music and welcoming atmosphere, we have plans to work closely with our partners and customers to take the venue to the next level.”