One of two pubs in a tiny West Coast town will close its doors in September if a new owner doesn’t come forward.
The owners of the iconic Blackball Inn and 08 Cafe, Jane Wells and Pat Kennedy, told OneRoof they had slashed the asking price by hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to get it sold.
The inn, which includes the bar, accommodation for 12 and an owner’s flat on a 2887sqm section, has an asking price of $450,000, while the neighbouring 678sqm corner section, currently used for parking for guests with motorhomes and caravans, is for sale for $100,000. They can also be purchased together for $550,000 – well down on the $789,00 the couple had wanted when they first went to market two years ago.
Wells said they had set a deadline of September 19, after which they would close the inn’s doors for good if they hadn’t sold. The date would also mark their fifth anniversary as the inn’s owners.
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The closure of the inn would leave just one other pub – Formerly The Blackball Hilton – servicing the town of 300. There is also the Blackball Workingmen’s Club and MSA, which is only open a few days a week.
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Wells and Kennedy are both well-known Blackball identities. Kennedy founded the famous Blackball Salami Company, while Wells previously owned the Blackball Hilton, now known as Formerly The Blackball Hilton after a legal stoush with the international hotel chain in the early 1990s, for 14 years.
While Kennedy grew up in the former mining town, Wells admits she was unimpressed when she first drove through it in the 1970s.
“I thought it was the pits. I said what an a**hole of a place. All the houses were unpainted, the Hilton was derelict, every house down the main road had a big coal heap in front of it.”
Blackball Inn and 08 Cafe owners Jane Wells and Pat Kennedy: “I really love it, but Pat’s 80 and he’s ready to retire and I’m in my 79th year and it’s probably time I did the same,” says Pat. Photo / Facebook
The pub is a popular meeting spot with locals and runs a range of events including quiz nights and live music. Photo / Supplied
She had been working as a teacher at Christchurch at the time and had been in the process of planning an architecturally-designed home there with her then husband.
But after accepting a job offer in nearby Cobden, the tiny town somehow weaved its magic and they ended up buying a house in Blackball for $3000 and moving there.
“It’s a neat community. Pat was born and bred here. He went up north for a while and came back. I’ve been here about twice and I actually bought the shop next door shop from him (Kennedy) and I always say I didn’t read the fine print because he came with it and that was 40 years ago.”
The couple had sold their respective businesses and moved to the Nelson area in 2008.
But 10 years later Wells was staying at the cottage they still owned in the town and was writing a book about Blackball’s local personalities when she decided she wanted to return. It was an easy decision for Kennedy who had spend most of his life there.
“So we came back and bought this pub, but it had been closed for five years and it was pretty revolting.”
The inn can accommodate up to 12 guests. Photo / Supplied
The Hilton Street property, which had been a pub since 1934, was gutted and the pair spent a year renovating it. The Blackball Inn and 08 Cafe officially opened in September 2019.
Wells said the decision to open the inn in the town coincided with the opening of the Paparoa Track, which was one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, the year earlier which significantly boosted the number of visitors to the town.
A few years later, the couple had been about to sell the business and property in 2021 when their grandson offered to run it for them.
But after 18 months, he decided to use his science degree and retrain as a high school teacher. Wells and Kennedy listed the inn for sale and found themselves back in charge again.
“I really love it, but Pat’s 80 and he’s ready to retire and I’m in my 79th year and it’s probably time I did the same although I still enjoy it here.”
Wells said the ideal owners would be an energetic couple who wanted to take it over and make it their own.
“It’s not a one-person affair – you need two of you and you need energy, enthusiasm, a real love for the Coast and a love of people. That’s what I think.”
A bare 678sqm section at 2 Hilton Street, which is currently used for caravan and motorhome parking, can be purchased separately for $100,000. Photo / Supplied
The inn ran a range of events from darts competitions, quiz nights, live music and even limerick competitions and was popular with both locals and visitors passing through. It also served a range of meals and had themed nights including an upcoming taco night.
“We have a lot of fun doing that – that keeps me amused as much as everybody else here.”
The newly opened Pike 29 Memorial Track, which is dedicated to the 29 men killed in the Pike River Mine disaster and leads to the site of the former Pike River Mine, opened at the start of this year. Wells said people who had already walked the Paparoa Track were now returning to walk this part, which only added to its potential.
Blackball itself was a “vibrant” place to live with a friendly community, she said, and had recently had money invested in a new playground, track to Kingston and a bike track directly across from the primary school.
“This is a great wee town and all sorts of people come and you hear their stories. It’s quite amazing really.
“There are interesting people too – people from Nelson, people from Christchurch, a few people who are left behind from the days when they just didn’t want to leave.”
- 8 Hilton Street, in Blackball, is for sale with an asking price of $450,000
