Up Close with Partridges new owner, and Hadleigh entrepreneur, Steven O'Leary, who outlines his plans for Partridges and more, in the town centre

Unsurprisingly speculation has been rife about what will become of Partridges after Hadleigh Nub News officially confirmed it had been sold - and who the new owner was.

The first thing to confirm is that the building bought by Steven O'Leary is to continue to be called 'Partridges'.

Hadleigh estate agents Chapman and Stickles negotiated the deal on behalf of Partridges' former owners Cosford and Mr O'Leary, who is well known for being the owner of wedding venue, hotel and restaurant The Marquis in Layham.

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Opening a sister restaurant with a High Street version of the Marquis is a number one priority, with his fleet of electric vehicles conveying customers to and from Layham when needed.

He said: "We have a fantastic venue down the road at Layham with fantastic support from Babergh to get that done, so ideally I would like a sister restaurant at the front of Partridges, with a some sort of clothing shop through the middle and while we have not decided yet what we would like to do with the other end, ideally I would like to retain some kind of Partridges hardware, haberdashery shop."

Mr O'Leary, who has lived in Hadleigh's Benton Street for the past 38 years, is keen to see the proud heritage of the 200-year-old building retained.

He said: "Why take the Partridges name away? Something that has been ever present in Hadleigh?

"I would not be arrogant enough to change the name. Nothing I could come up would work better than a name that is known everywhere.

"I'm not arrogant enough to feel I know how to run High Street store, we will need people to do that."

Steven O'Leary with children Adam, Harriet and George (Picture credit: contributed/Nub News)

Another important factor for Mr O'Leary, who has three children, Adam George and Harriet (who works at the Marquis), is leaving a legacy for his family.

Mr O'Leary, aged 60, said: "This is about my family and the future.

"This is about a legacy and I want to create a business that has massive longevity and continuity."

Another benefit of having such a space will be the opportunity for him to ending years of traipsing up and down the A12 by moving his company's headquarters from Chadwell Heath to Hadleigh, and the extra employment opportunities that brings to the town.

"I already employ the best part of 100 people in the Hadleigh effectively moving my headquarters from Chadwell Heath to Hadleigh," he said.

"I have been driving up and down the A12 for the best part of 40 years and I don't want to do it any more."

Partridges buiding sold through Chapman Stickels (Picture credit: Hadleigh Nub News

It will be a few months before things can get underway in any meaningful manner, with the hardware store closing on September 30, and Mr O'Leary not expecting to move his team into the Grade II listed building the following month.

"I have numerous ideas. but until I can get in there with our architects to see what we can do, if we can get a kitchen in there for example," said Mr O'Leary.

"We need to work out with Babeghto find out what we are able to do, or not do, before we can decide on what would be viable business..

I have numerous ideas. The idea is to use up the whole building and decorate it to a standard which will uplift the building."

Although Partridges has planning permission to build flats Mr O'Leary does not yet plan to act on that, although he is keeping the option up his sleeve as aback up.

He said: "I have no intention of building houses or flats there but I would be stupid man not to keep the planning permission that is passed alive, depending on the future possible recession or whatever."

Discerning dining at the Marquis

The successful entrepreneur already owns the former Barclays Bank building, which has permission to convert the downstairs into two extra one-bedroom flats and admits further investment into Hadleigh's High Street is possible.

Mr O'Leary built his empire after moving from Finchingfield in Essex, where the family still has an orchard, which supplies apple juices and fruit to the Marquis.

His plans at the wedding venue, restaurant and hotel, includes growing a vineyards with pinot noir grapes, to neutralise the business' carbon footprint, as well as the electric vehicle fleet.

Meanwhile, a closing down sale at Partridges starts on Saturday as one chapter closes and another is set to begin.

See Chapman Stickles' latest Property of the Week here...