A Shropshire nightclub which has attracted some of the UK’s biggest acts and is a platform for the county’s up and coming bands is up for sale, it was revealed today.
The Buttermarket in Howard Street, Shrewsbury, is for sale with Birmingham-based Christie & Co with a guide price of £900,000.
But owner Kerry Wycherley said he would only sell the venue to the “right person”.
Mr Wycherley is to reopen the club tonight after it was forced to shut for two weeks because of a row over a £23,000 water bill.
The nightclub boss said the building had been for sale for some months and was not in any way related to the water bill issue.
Mr Wycherley said the club had been serving the area as an important cultural and entertainment centre for more than 25 years.
The 61-year-old said he had considered retiring from the industry but said he would only step down if he was able to find a suitable successor and get the right price for the building.
Mr Wycherley said: “They would have to come up with a big offer and whoever wanted to buy it would have to carry on the same tradition that we have got.
“We have already turned down two lots of people because they don’t want to operate it the way we want.”
Mr Wycherley said The Buttermarket was the county’s prime evening music venue but also held events for children and older people. He said the venue was home to one of the country’s only Wurlitzer organs.
Mr Wycherley said: “I think the town has to wake up and realise what we have got here which is one of the jewels in the crown in the world not just in Shropshire.”
Meanwhile, X-Factor stars JLS could soon be appearing at the club after Mr Wycherley said he wanted to provide a treat for teenagers who missed out on a party after its water supply was shut off.
Mr Wycherley said he was in negotiations with representatives of the group – finalists of the hit ITV1 show – in a bid to bring them to the county.
He said he was devastated after some youngsters who were due to attend the Nitro party at the club last month were left unable to go after the venue was switched to Telford.
By Russell Roberts
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9 Comments
Let’s hope that whoever buys it will invest a little in it’s refurbishment. My friends an I never go there because it’s a bit of a dirty fleapit!
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said he would only sell the venue to the “right person”. With a lot of Cash £££ !
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RIP The Buttie…hopefully temporarily. Seen some great bands {and some not so great!} there, even shook hands with Robert Plant at the Jazz & Roots Club. So thank you Kerry, Dez & Alli and then after Dave Bassett and then Mandy on the indie nights. Ok so they never did get the ale right in 23 years but next time eh?
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sad man it will be a real loss to culture in the town, i hope when he says right person he means some one who will keep it as a dub club or at very least play the odd bit of dance music and world music and still host the salsa lessons and things, What we categorically DONT need or want in shrewsbury is another clone club playing pop music for under 18s and selling hooch and blue vimto booze and causing crime and offending the neighbours with noise,
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i met my wife at the buttermarket back in 2001
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On the money Dean. We don’t want or need another corporate chain clone venue for air-head alchopoppers. They’re well caterered for already in this town.
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we would shut clubs like this down unless they can prove they dont cause anti social behaviour, people need to turn towards the church at times like this, not to alchohol etc, i weclome this place closing and would like to see it be a museam to the history of the site, not a den for ill repute where young people learn not about the lord but about the dark side, we must never allow the broken society of labour and their 24 hour binge drinknig and gambling to take over our great nation, long live the Queen, down with the EU and the broken britain on bliar and clown brown
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It was the Dance & hardcore nights that killed the Buttermarket. They should of kept it as a older persons club. The owner was taken in by the hardcore & dance DJ’s and Destroyed the BM club.
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rip
only good music venue in town
only cheesy night clubs left now, i may as well give up going out at night
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