ONE of the best known hotels in the region has been bought for an undisclosed sum.

Owner David Barnard has sold his award-winning Crab and Lobster seafood restaurant and Crab Manor - its sister hotel - at Asenby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, to Vimac Leisure.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, Eversheds and KPMG helped complete the deal.

Vimac is now aiming to acquire further established venues in the region in the coming months as it increases its portfolio of leisure venues across the UK.

The Crab and Lobster was named as the UK's Best Seafood Pub in 2000 and as Restaurant of the Year by the Good Pub Guide three times in the past decade.

Crab Manor is a converted Grade Two listed Georgian building.

Each of its 12 rooms is themed after a famous hotel around the world including Sharrow Bay, in Cumbria, Raffles in Singapore and the Waldorf Estoria, in New York. It is furnished with artefacts from each location.

Vimac Leisure managing director Paul Mackings said: "This deal is a vital part of our ongoing extension plans.

"Our aim is to grow by acquiring high quality leisure venues around the UK and continue to operate them along the lines that have made them successful in the first place.

"Both the Crab and Lobster and Crab Manor have huge potential to achieve even more success in the future and we are very excited about the contribution they can make to our business.

"The quality of the advice and assistance we received from our professional services partners made the purchase a very smooth operation."

The Royal Bank of Scotland team worked alongside law firm Eversheds and KPMG's corporate finances team to help complete the deal.

Roger Powell, The Royal Bank of Scotland's head of corporate and structured finance for Yorkshire and North-East, said: "The Crab and Lobster and Crab Manor are unique, high quality businesses and we are very pleased to have been able to help Vimac Leisure successfully put this latest part of their expansion programme into place."