THE Harvester pub and restaurant in Perdiswell is set to close, and mystery now surrounds what will happen at the restaurant.

Mitchells & Butlers, the owners of the restaurant chain, in Droitwich Road, released a statement confirming the closure and saying they had decided to sell up.

The firm says staff have been consulted, with the aim to move employees to other pubs. The company has not said when it will shut its doors.

The identity of the new owners is a mystery but agents JLL, acting on their behalf, has submitted an application for a certificate of existing lawful use to Worcester City Council.

The application appears to be a tidying up exercise to confirm that the Perdiswell House site can continue to operate as a restaurant, as the document demonstrates the site’s history.

The move by Harvester comes as a surprise as only three years ago the firm invested in a major refurbishment, reopening it so it had the capacity for more than 150 diners and creating new jobs.

At the time, Harvester’s general manager Matt Turner said: “We want to create a destination restaurant for feel-good dining and we’re thrilled to be providing Worcester with the great tasting food Harvester is renowned for.”

But in the latest statement, Harvester said: “We continuously review our estate to ensure we’re always obtaining the best returns from each of our assets, and driving innovation across our brands, to enable us to continue to deliver shareholder value. Following an approach, we have taken the decision to sell the Perdiswell Harvester.”

JLL was unavailable for comment.

READ MORE: More jobs created in Worcester as Perdiswell Harvester reopens