THE beating ‘Hart’ of Launceston is to be reawakened as the troubled venue has been purchased by an Essex based millionaire.

The White Hart Hotel, in the town centre, has been acquired by KZSS Limited, a company owned by Harjinder ‘Harry’ Singh Sidhu.

Mr Sidhu, 75, was listed in the Sunday Times’ rich list with a worth of £42-million in 2008, is best known for owning businesses in the aviation and petrol retail industries.

At the time of his appearance in the rich list, his career was described as beginning as a cashier in a petrol station in Ilford. Within nine months, he had started to buy out his bosses, selling stations on to Burmah and Shell.”

He was also previously the owner of the now-defunct ‘Air Slovakia’ flight charter business.

The purchase of the venue by Mr Sidhu and KZSS Limited marks a new chapter after several troubled years for the business, which saw a fire in 2019 and attempted objections to the renewal of a premises licence in 2022.

Announcing the news, a spokesperson for the new owners stated that it would seek to restore the venue to ‘its former glory’ with the hotel rooms reopening in May.

A spokesperson for the White Hart Hotel said: “We’re delighted to share that The White Hart Hotel has been purchased by new owners and is now under new management. The hotel is now proudly part of KZSS, owned by Harry Sidhu.

“Harry and his dedicated team are passionate about restoring The White Hart to its former glory – bringing new life to the bar, restaurant, and hotel. The hotel rooms are set to reopen next month, with the beautiful ballroom scheduled to be available from August 1.

“We look forward to welcoming you back and sharing this exciting new chapter with our valued guests and the local community.”