North Lincolnshire village pharmacy sold as founding owner retires

Established in 2000 by John Crump and Paul Watson, Kingston Pharmacy is a standard hours community pharmacy, which dispenses an average of 5,128 items per month. It is located on the high street in the Lincolnshire village and civil parish of Messingham.

After 26 years, John and Paul decided to sell to allow them to pursue a well-earned retirement.

Following a confidential sales process with Tom Young at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through Olivia Dixon at Christie Finance, the pharmacy has been purchased by first-time buyer, Joy Ekpeh, who is a Pharmacist.

John Crump, the former owner of Kingston Pharmacy, comments, “The business has grown steadily over the past 26 years. We both made the difficult decision to sell to pursue retirement and would like to wish Joy the best of luck in her new ownership.”

Joy Ekpeh, the new Owner of Kingston Pharmacy, comments, “It has been a goal of mine to become a pharmacy owner for some time, and I am delighted to take over Kingston Pharmacy. What attracted me to the pharmacy was its location, trusted reputation within the local community and the strong foundations built by John and Paul over many years. Going forward, my focus is on sustainable growth, including offering additional services, improving patient experience and expanding on the strengthening of the pharmacy’s role as a key healthcare hub within the Messingham area.”

Tom Young, Senior Business Agent – Pharmacy at Christie & Co, comments, “Kingston Pharmacy truly represents the essence of a village pharmacy at the heart of its community, and I am delighted that the people of Messingham will continue to receive high-quality healthcare under Joy’s ownership. When John and Paul first approached us, they had been advised by another agent that the pharmacy was worth almost half of the value we ultimately achieved. By leveraging our local knowledge and in-depth market insights, we generated five offers at or above the guide price through a highly competitive bidding process. Following agreement with Joy, the sale was completed within just four months, demonstrating what can be achieved when a proactive agent ensures all parties remain aligned and focused. I wish Joy every success and extend my best wishes to John and Paul for a happy and well-deserved retirement.”

Olivia Dixon, Finance Consultant at Christie Finance, comments, “Joy has been an absolute pleasure to work with throughout this entire process. Securing the funding for her - especially as a first‑time buyer in pharmacy - was no small feat, and it required some careful negotiation with the bank to make it happen. I’m excited to see everything Joy will go on to achieve, and I genuinely look forward to the opportunity to work together again in the future.”

Kingston Pharmacy was sold for an undisclosed price.

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