The Dog and Gun, a food-led country inn and freehouse on the outskirts of the Essex village of Little Waltham, has changed hands.

The pub will now be managed by the Arizona Group on behalf of the new owner, The Close Trading Companies, which is a Close Investments fund.

The business – which made a net turnover of  £315,579 in the year to 31 March 2007 – taps into an affluent catchment area that includes nearby Chelmsford, Braintree and Witham. It is also a stone’s throw from the new Great Leighs racecourse.

The 17th-century, semi-detached property retains period details such as part-tiled and wooden floors and exposed beams and timbers across its trading areas. They include a lower-level, 26-seat dining area with open fire and a 38-seat upper-level restaurant with a bar servery.

There is also a spacious, three-bedroom flat and a private garden for the owners.

Outside, the Dog and Gun offers wooden picnic benches and patio sets to seat around 80 customers, a children’s play area, and parking for 30 cars.

The Norwich office of Colliers Robert Barry sold the freehold off a guide price of £625,000 on behalf of Family First Inns.

By Angela Frewin