THE owners of the popular beachside eatery Chineside have insisted “we are not for sale” after their restaurant was advertised on a property website.

According to an advert, which has been viewed by hundreds of people, the restaurant’s lease is on the market.

However, owner Rob Shearman told the Daily Echo: “We are definitely not for sale.

“I think what may have happened is that we instructed Christies to get an evaluation for us last year, strictly for business purposes.

“So we were on their books, but I have no idea why we’ve appeared on Rightmove. It came as a complete surprise to us, we’ve had lots of people coming up and asking what is happening.

“At the moment we are liaising with Christies to find out what has gone on.”

Rob and Van Hubball spent years working hard to open the restaurant at Durley Chine.

They gained planning permission for the eatery some time ago, but the project was put on hold in 2013 when Rob suffered a heart attack.

At the time Bournemouth Borough Council stepped in – investing £900,000 in the scheme as part of its seafront improvement strategy.

It gave the duo a chance to keep their dream on hold while Mr Shearman recovered before eventually opening the restaurant in August 2015.

At the time Mr Shearman, who ran the small kiosk on the site for 14 years, as well as operating the kiosks at Boscombe Pier and Middle Chine, told the Daily Echo: “This was years in the making and it’s all suddenly come to fruition – as soon as we came here we wanted to develop this spot.”

And in the last 18 months the £1million beachside eatery has gone from strength to strength.

The current menu includes breakfast, burgers, fish and chips, panini, coffees, sandwiches, snacks and ice cream, as well as barbecues on the upper deck in good weather and a wood fired pizza oven on the terrace.

The ad for the business on Rightmove describes the restaurant as a “stunning new £1million beach-side eatery” and says of the operators: “Due to ill health, they have decided to put the lease on the market”.

It adds: “We are advised that projected net sales for year end 2016 will be in excess of £1million and month by month management figures will be provided to any prospective purchaser.”