A restaurant building is up for sale with a near-£1m price tag – five years after it closed with the loss of 21 jobs.

The Weavers at Golcar has been put on the market with a guide price of £950,000.

Businessman Andy Ratcliffe has instructed national business transfer specialist Blacks Business Brokers to find a new owner for the former fine dining venue.

Andrew Ratcliffe and shell of The Weavers Shed at Golcar

The Weavers closed its doors to customers in 2013 with Mr Ratcliffe blaming Kirklees Council for the decision to call time on the venture – less than three years after he bought it.

At the time, Mr Ratcliffe said he was in dispute with the council’s environmental health department over the noise generated by a refrigeration unit at the rear of the premises. It followed complaints from a neighbour about the noise.

The Weavers – formerly The Weaver’s Shed – had traded as a restaurant since 1972 and enjoyed a national reputation for fine dining.

The Weavers at Golcar has been put on the market with a guide price of £950,000

Mr Ratcliffe has now taken the decision to focus on other, unrelated, business interests and has put the property up for sale.

The restaurant is being offered for sale on a freehold basis. However, Mr Ratcliffe is also willing to negotiate a long-term lease for a suitable new operator.

The building began life as a cloth finishing mill with part of the property dating back to 1774. It opened as The Weaver’s Shed in the 1970s and six luxury guest bedrooms were added in 1999.

The ground floor houses the main restaurant, with seating for up to 125 covers along with a modern bar and fully equipped catering kitchen. The first floor boasts an extensive function suite with capacity for 70 and space for dancing.

The Weavers at Golcar has been put on the market with a guide price of £950,000

The property is set in its own grounds, with a large manicured garden and parking for up to 40 vehicles.

After buying the property, Mr Ratcliffe retained many of the original features as part of the refurbishment, including a mill chimney dating back to the 1750s.

The gardens were restored to their former glory to include an outdoor eating area, a terrace for drinking and an orangery while cottages in the grounds were transformed into five guest bedrooms.

Weavers restaurant in Golcar

Leonie Duffy, sales executive at Blacks Business Brokers, which has offices in Leeds, said: “This is a stunning property and it would be wonderful to see it brought back into service as a high-quality restaurant. It is being offered for sale on either a freehold or a leasehold basis so it should appeal to a range of different purchasers.

“For many years the Weavers was known nationally for its cuisine and a new owner would have a fabulous opportunity to build upon this.

“Its function suite and exceptionally well-appointed letting rooms mean it also has great potential as a venue for weddings and other celebrations, offering a substantial income stream that would be booked months or even years ahead.”