Celeb fave pub for sale: The Jolly Sportsman in the South Downs near Lewes has a guide price of £699,500

The Jolly Sportsman, tucked into the South Downs near the town of Lewes in East Chiltington, East Sussex, is a humble-looking pub that counts Alan Partridge star Steve Coogan, stand-up comic Sean Lock and TV and Heart radio presenter Jamie Theakston as fans.

Current landlords Bruce and Gwyneth Wass are set to retire. Bruce, a former London chef, bought the pub in 1998, when it was turning over less than £2,000 a week, and it is now considered one of the best places to eat in Sussex, featuring in major eating out guides.

The Jolly Sportsman is on the market with leisure property specialists Fleurets. The freehold is going with a guide price of £699,500 and accounts show sales of £501,000 a year net of VAT, so the new owner would be investing in a healthy business.