A PAIR of family-run pharmacies in Chester have been sold to a pharmacy owner from the West Midlands.

Salrook Healthcare Limited, which comprises two well-established community pharmacies, Westminster Park Pharmacy on Castle Croft Road and Owen's Chemist on Chester Street, dispense around 13,000 items per month.

The business has been owned by the Persaud family since 2014 and was recently brought to the market as a retirement sale. In a sale managed by business property adviser Christie & Co, the business has been purchased by Aqib Sheikh, an existing operator with a pharmacy in Walsall, West Midlands. Aqib plans to enhance the business’s service offering and grow his portfolio in the region.

Chloe Yadav (nee Persaud), previous owner of Salrook Healthcare Limited, said: "As a family, we are delighted to have completed the sale of the business to Aqib. Whilst we will miss our team who have become like family, it is good to know that the two sites have been acquired by a forward- thinking Pharmacist who will enhance the offering to the benefit of the patients and the community which they serve. My family and I wish Aqib and the whole team the very best of luck with the future."

New owner of Salrook Healthcare Limited, Aquib Sheikh said: "I am delighted to have inherited such a well-run and profitable pair of pharmacy businesses in the charming city of Chester. I’d like to wish John Persaud the very best with his retirement and look forward to building on the work of the Persaud family."

Jon Booth, Director – Medical at Christie & Co, said: "It’s fantastic to finally get this deal done, working with clients like the Persauds is always great, and it’s pleasing to get them the result they needed. This was a well-run family business with good dispensing volumes and well-established community locations. It’s always more challenging when there are two sites, but the proximity of both Owen’s and Westminster made this easier. I am looking forward to seeing how the new owners implement their growth plans and wish them every success."

David Ward, Senior Director at Christie Finance, who sourced funding for the buyer, said: "Having previously helped Aqib with the purchase of his first pharmacy, I was delighted to have been able to support him in arranging the finance to acquire these two. The purchase process wasn’t without its challenges and demonstrated the importance of using a specialist pharmacy finance broker who has links to the right lenders and managers in the market and can work with them to facilitate the purchase."

Salrook Healthcare Limited was sold for an undisclosed price.