A WILMSLOW nursery has been bought by an expanding operator for an undisclosed fee.

The Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery was purchased by Nina's Nurseries adding to its seven existing facilities in Cheshire which provide more than 300 childcare places.

The Hawthorn Lane nursery, which serves parents from surrounding towns, was previously owned by Liz Butterworth as part of the Monkey Puzzle franchise.

After 10 years of ownership and with the premises lease coming to an end Liz made the decision to hand the business over to a new owner.

She said: "I am delighted to have found a buyer who is so well placed to take the nursery forwards."

Chief founding officer of Nina’s Nurseries, Nina Stones, added: “I’m extremely excited to welcome the former Monkey Puzzle, Wilmslow Day Nursery (now rebranded as Nina’s Nursery Wilmslow) into our group.

"The nursery provides excellent quality childcare with a long-standing manager and team who are a perfect match as they share the same ethos and values."

"Each nursery is unique because they all form part of their local communities, each with differing needs.

"Their one distinguishing feature is each team has a passion for creating nurturing home from home environments where children can learn at their own pace and be encouraged to become confident, self-disciplined and active learners equipped with the life skills ready for their next journey."

The sale of the nursery was handled by specialist business property adviser Christie & Co.

Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery is a well-established business which historically offers a quality care experience for children aged zero to five-years-old.

The nursery operates from a four-storey semi-detached property which has been converted and renovated to a high standard.

Monkey Puzzle’s operations director, Stuart Graham, said: “Our primary desire is for communities to be served by great nurseries run by great operators, and for many years Wilmslow has been wonderfully served by Liz and her team under the Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries brand.

"We are proud to have supported Liz throughout her journey as an Early Years provider as part of our franchised network of nurseries across the UK.

"The nursery now moves on to another chapter in its story under the leadership of Nina’s Nurseries, meeting our desire for the continuation of great childcare for the community.

"We congratulate all involved and wish them all the very best for the future."

Sofia Beck, associate director at Christie & Co, said: "This was a particularly unique transaction, where we were looking for a specialist purchaser who the opportunity would be a good fit for.

"Despite the challenges faced last year, which forced the closure of some businesses within this sector, the opportunity received a strong level of interest throughout the marketing process.

"We worked with Liz to continuously adapt the way we sourced new interest which allowed us to reach a successful completion.

"Nina’s enthusiasm and her experienced approach to the handover process meant that staff felt positive and reassured and by the news of the sale, although of course sad to see Liz go.

"All in all, a great result for everyone. I wish Liz all the best with her future plans, it was a pleasure working with her."