Paul Hollywood blasts locals as ‘vindictive’ after fall-out with wife

Celebrity baker Paul Hollywood has branded Kent locals as ‘vindictive’ following an ‘unforgivable’ reaction to his wife’s decision to close the area’s local pub. 

Melissa Hollywood, 40, wife of the Great British Bake Off judge, 57, recently sought and was granted permission to turn her family’s 600-year-old pub, Chequers Inn, into a home because it is no longer a viable business. 

She and her family submitted plans to Ashford Borough Council earlier this year and were quickly met with backlash from residents. Some even campaigned to buy and run the pub themselves. 

Before the application to transform the pub, which was previously run by Melissa’s father, Glenn Spalding, the family had put it up for sale in November 2020. 

Local Democracy Reporting Service reported it was listed at just under £1million and has since been relisted with four real estate agents, none of whom have had success in selling the Grade II establishment. 

Now, Paul has spoken out about the criticism his wife and her family have faced in light of their plans to turn the historical pub into a home, claiming the locals have acted in an ‘unforgivable’ manner. 

‘The vindictiveness from the locals towards the family who have been here 18 years is unforgivable,’ he told BBC. 

Paul continued to say the family did receive one offer from a buyer, but it was ‘not realistic’ and added, ‘If the villagers themselves want to get their act together and put a bid in and buy it, that’s fine.’

‘At the end of the month, it’s earmarked to close because they cannot sustain the money that’s coming in because there’s no money coming in.’

Paul’s comments come after Melissa spoke out about the attacks she and her family have faced from locals who are upset about the pub’s closure.

She told Ashford Borough Council during a planning meeting: ‘The last six months has shown us the worst in people’s behaviour, the personal insults and attacks have been unforgivable.’

Speaking to MailOnline, one villager said: ‘It is a travesty. It will ruin the village.’ They added: ‘I hope it makes them both very happy and a lot of money. But this will leave the village in a much worse-off position.’

Melissa continued to say in the meeting that her 80-year-old father, who suffers from a ‘life-threatening’ heart condition, is working 12-16 hour shifts each day to keep the pub open. 

She noted that despite his attempts and the more than £80,000 she and Paul, who has an estimated net worth of $15 million, have invested in saving the pub, it is still running at a loss. 

The current plans to turn the business into a single-dwelling home mean no physical work will be required internally or externally. 

In addition to locals sharing their upset about the pub’s closure, Smarden Parish Council argued at the meeting that it would ‘deprive’ the village of a pub. 

Representative Lea Randolph told councillors: ‘To get more money, they want the borough council to turn a Grade II 14th Century heritage asset into a residence and deprive the village of a pub that has been part of village life for over 600 years.’

Councillors voted seven to five to turn the establishment into a residential property. 

Melissa and her family intend to close the pub at the end of August and have several years to change the purpose of the building from pub to home. 

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