City news - Deals Rss news feed for Morning Advertiser

Enterprise to raise £10m more at auction

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:46:00 GMT

Enterprise Inns is hoping to raise a further £10m by selling the freeholds of seven pubs at an Allsops auction planned for 3 December.

Abbey Inns adds fourth pub

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:36:00 GMT

Abbey Inns has taken a fourth pub in its home city of Bath — it’s added the pub next door to its brewery, Bath’s famous jazz pub, Ye Old Farmhouse.

Cavendish to open third Wahoo bar

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:19:00 GMT

Cavendish Bars is opening their third Wahoo site this week — the Oldham site opens on Friday 13 November.

Marjoram buys two pub freeholds

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Operator Marjoram Leisure has acquired two freeholds in Essex for an undisclosed sum through Christie + Co.

4C Inns shelves plans to sell business

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:42:00 GMT

4C Inns, the niche pub group based in the Home Counties, has shelved plans to sell the business.

Aston Manor buys Devon Cider out of administration

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:35:00 GMT

Birmingham-based Aston Manor Brewery has bought Devon Cider Company out of administration.

Ritblat to regain control of Merchant

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Sir John Ritblat, the former chairman of British Land, is set to buy back Merchant Inns after the company went into administration.

Lowlander in pre-pack restructure

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Lowlander, the fledgling Belgian beer concept, has been restructured via a pre-pack administration.

Marston's to open second site with Travelodge

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:02:00 GMT

Marston’s is to open its second site in partnership with the budget hotel operator Travelodge in Wadebridge in Cornwall.

Gusto’s two tie-free sites

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Southampton-based pub group Gusto Inns has added another two sites to its portfolio, bringing its total to eight.

Shotton branches out with own pubs

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:59:00 GMT

One of the founders of Urban & Country Leisure, Dan Shotton, has left the company to launch his own pub group.

Orchid 'to buy PBR on 30 November'

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:34:00 GMT

Industry sources report that a date of 30 November has been set for managed company Orchid to complete its acquisition of stricken Premium Bars and Restaurants.

Heineken to take over Globe

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Heineken will takeover the Globe Pub Company in late 2010 – following its £180m acquisition today by a holding company.

Forest Inns buys second outlet

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:29:00 GMT

London operator Forest Inns has bought its second site — Ye Olde White Bear in Hampstead.

Top hosts’ second pub site sealed

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:22:00 GMT

A pair of award-winning Yorkshire licensees, Ashley and Kelly McCarthy, have taken on a second pub.

Millionaire saves pub

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:33:00 GMT

A Kent multi-millionaire who didn’t want to see his local pub turned into flats decided to buy it to safeguard its future.

Mauldons takes second pub

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:16:00 GMT

Norfolk micro-brewer Mauldons has bought its second pub — the Cottage will be run by Clive and Sally Mann.

Punch to buy back remainder of bonds debt

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:39:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is to buy back the remainder of its convertible bonds a year ahead of schedule.

Eighth pub for Thurlby

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:01:00 GMT

Lincolnshire pub owner Michael Thurlby is set to open his eighth pub — the Woolpack Inn in Newark.

Agent Christie's selling nine ex-Regent sites

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:28:00 GMT

Christie + Co is selling the leasehold interests of nine ex-Regent Inns sites on behalf of administrator BDO Stoy Hayward.

Saffron Leisure buys 2nd freehold

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:58:00 GMT

Family-owned pub company Saffron Leisure has opened a second site — Grandison in Bramfield, Hertfordshire.

Foundation’s sixth site ready

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:37:00 GMT

Foundation Inns is gearing up to open its sixth site, following a £500,000 refurbishment at a pub in Oxfordshire.

Regent completes pre-pack administration

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:02:00 GMT

Regent Inns has gone through a pre-pack administration with 60 sites emerging in a new company, Intertain, led by previous management.

3DE to be marketed for sale

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:41:00 GMT

The board of 3D Entertainment (3DE), the late-night bar and club group, has appointed advisers to launch an official sale of the business.

BrewDog looks to raise £2.3m

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:22:00 GMT

Controversial micro-brewer BrewDog is hoping to raise £2.3m through a share rights issue to fund a carbon neutral brewery in Aberdeen.

MBO fails at Regent Inns

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:02:00 GMT

The future of Walkabout operator Regent Inns, is said to be in doubt after a management buy-out collapsed.

Capital bags 26th pub

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:07:00 GMT

London-based Capital Pub Company has acquired the Wishing Well in SE15 for £880,000 out of administration.

Auction success for Enterprise pubs

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Private buyers have bid way above guide prices to acquire Enterprise Inns pubs at an Allsops auction this afternoon. The five pubs sold on the day went for around £13.15m.

AB InBev confirms £2.3bn disposal

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:15:00 GMT

AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has announced it has agreed to sell breweries in nine eastern European countries to CVC Capital Partners.

Finance house offers funding to buy pub freeholds

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:10:00 GMT

A corporate finance specialist is offering to provide finance to multiple lessees who want to buy their freeholds.

Orchid to look at re-opening north-east base for PBR

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:44:00 GMT

Orchid boss Rufus Hall has said that the company will look to re-open a base in the north-east for Premium Bars and Restaurant (PBR) after Orchid completes its take-over plan.

Punch pays off £102m chunk of debt

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:35:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has paid off a further £102m worth of debt after buying back convertible bonds.

Regent Inns eyes pre-pack

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:47:00 GMT

Regent Inns, the troubled bar operator, is thought to be considering some form of financial restructuring — possibly a pre-pack administration.

OFT to look at Tennent's lager deal

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:28:00 GMT

The Office of Fair Trading is to look at ABInbev's sale of Tennent's lager to Magners producer C&C Group.

Punch offers to buy back more debt

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Punch Taverns is offering to buy back another chunk of debt from bondholders — up to a value of £100m.

Mannion buys 4th in NW London

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:40:00 GMT

London operator Brian Mannion has taken on a fourth pub in the north-west of the capital.

Barhub opens second site

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:35:00 GMT

Kent brewer Shepherd Neame has sold the leasehold interest of the Grove Ferry Inn near Canterbury to fledgling operator Barhub.

Marston's in joint venture with Travelodge

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:24:00 GMT

Pub operator Marston’s is teaming up with Travelodge, the budget hotel operator, to co-locate pub restaurants alongside hotels.

Punch buys back more bonds

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:19:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has repurchased another chunk of its convertible bonds via a series of market transactions.

Punch to sell 300 pubs with Christie + Co

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:07:00 GMT

Punch is putting 300 mostly freehold pubs up for sale from its turnaround division with Christie + Co.

Dunedin plans double pub sale

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:58:00 GMT

Scottish operator Dunedin Pub Company is selling both of its Edinburgh pubs for almost £1.8m, to focus on opportunities south of the border.

Highgate Brewery sold via pre-pack

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:36:00 GMT

Highgate Brewery, the Midlands-based brewer, has been acquired through a pre-pack administration.

Enterprise hopes to raise £14.7m at auction

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:30:00 GMT

Tenanted pub company Enterprise Inns is planning to sell seven of its top quality freehold pubs in a sale-and-leaseback deal at a public auction.

Geronimo Inns to open pub at Westfield

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:01:00 GMT

Geronimo Inns, the managed pub group led by Rupert Clevely, is to open a new outlet at West London’s Westfield shopping centre.

Grand Union eyes national roll-out

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:26:00 GMT

Grand Union plans a national roll-out in 2012 after securing its tenth site at the Grove, Camberwell Green, London.

Heartstone buys Punch pub

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:40:00 GMT

Heartstone Inns has bought the freehold of the Weyside Inn in Guildford, Surrey, from Punch Taverns for an undisclosed sum.

Punch buys back bonds

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:23:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has repurchased a chunk of its convertible bonds via a series of market transactions.

Top music venue sold to tycoon

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:54:00 GMT

London live music venue Parker McMillan has been sold to the man responsible for bringing Gold’s Gym to the UK.

Thwaites nets £77.5m from hotel sale

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:56:00 GMT

Lancashire brewer and operator Thwaites has confirmed the sale of the Stafford Hotel in London for £77.5m in cash.

Admiral puts 20 pubs up for sale

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:38:00 GMT

Admiral Taverns is selling 20 pubs throughout the UK with a combined value of £4.325m.

Punch stops rentalising machine income

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:21:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has begun to stop rentalising machine income in a move that will boost pub income for licensees.

TCG sells lease of Minerva Hotel

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:20:00 GMT

Managed pub company Tattershall Castle Acquisitions has sold the lease of the Minerva Hotel pub in Hull, East Yorkshire, to local operator Phil Daly, for an undisclosed sum.

Beds and Bars plans Prague venue

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:50:00 GMT

Beds and Bars, the pub-meets-hostel operator led by Keith Knowles, is heading for Prague in the Czech Republic.

Sold: Property agents UK Pub Sales

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:42:00 GMT

Norwich based property agents UK Pub Sales has been acquired by the Axis Partnership for an undisclosed amount.

Second Everards tenancy for Ssoosh

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:41:00 GMT

A new multiple lessee, Ssoosh Inns, has taken its second Everard tenancy.

Award-winning host Anthony Mears buys new pub

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:21:00 GMT

Anthony Mears, award-winning licensee, has bought the freehold of the Beckford Inn in Gloucestershire.

Dark Star to increase brewing capacity 300%

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:38:00 GMT

Sussex brewer Dark Star is to increase its brewing capacity by 300% after agreeing a move to a new site.

95.5% take-up on Luminar share offer

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:07:00 GMT

Nightclub operator Luminar Leisure has announced a 95.5% take-up from shareholders on its plan to raise £35.75, through a new share issue.

Red Mist Leisure buys three Punch pubs

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:32:00 GMT

Red Mist Leisure, the Surrey-based group, has bought three pubs it leased from Punch Taverns for an undisclosed sum.

JDW replaces Coors with Carlsberg

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:33:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon is planning to replace key Coors draught products with Carlsberg draught products on 17 September.

Morrissey vows to pay back £2.5m on failed pub venture

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:42:00 GMT

Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey has vowed to pay back £2.5m he owes after his pub and hotel chain collapsed.

Premium Bars bids assessed by end of August

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:59:00 GMT

Premium Bars and Restaurant administrator BDO has stated that bids for parts of the business will be assessed by the end of the month.

Loungers looking for 30 sites by 2013

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:58:00 GMT

Loungers, the 10-strong neighbourhood café bar group based in the south-west, is set to add eight new sites by the end of 2010.

Glendola sells Octave to Market Cafe

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Glendola Leisure, the managed operator of bars, clubs and restaurants, has sold the Octave jazz bar and restaurant in Covent Garden to Market Café.

Cambcuisine to open its fourth site

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:09:00 GMT

Cambcuisine, the Cambridgeshire pub operator owned by Oliver Thain and Richard Bradley, is to open its fourth site in mid-September.

New lease of life for Turnpike Inn

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:51:00 GMT

A pair of former Wetherspoon managers, who rescued two Enterprise Inns pubs from oblivion last year, are set for a third opening in October.

Fifth site for hotel group

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:50:00 GMT

Independent hotel operator Thorpeness and Aldeburgh Hotels have opened a fifth site.

JDW abandons £1.4m pub plan

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:26:00 GMT

JD Wetherspoon has decided to abandon a £1.4m pub development in Blackpool.

Nielsen takes stake in CGA Strategy

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Market research company Nielsen has taken an equity stake in on-trade consultancy CGA Strategy.

Charles Wells sells 11 pubs

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:24:00 GMT

Charles Wells has sold 11 pubs with a further four under offer of the batch of 24 it put up for sale.

Joule's buys two more Punch pubs

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:39:00 GMT

Joule’s Brewery has bought two more pubs from Punch Taverns, bringing its estate to 16 sites.

Elite adds fourth outlet

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:01:00 GMT

Elite Pubs has added a fourth site to its south-east portfolio — it has opened Enterprise lease the Dirty Habit in Hollingbourne.

Hook Norton sells Albion

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Hook Norton Brewery is selling the freehold Albion pub in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and is seeking offers in the region of £365,000.

Second Enterprise pub for Thompson

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Former Ritz executive chef Giles Thompson has taken on a second Enterprise pub.

BDO: several parties interested in Premium

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:55:00 GMT

The administrator for Premium and Bars Restaurants has reported that there are several parties interested in buying parts of the business.

Drake & Morgan lines up second site

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:05:00 GMT

Drake & Morgan, the fledgling bar-restaurant group led by Jillian MacLean and John Connell, is to open a second site.

Exclusive: McMullen’s to buy pubs

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Hertfordshire brewer and retailer McMullen’s believes that it is well-placed to buy pubs after avoiding paying peak-of-market prices in recent years.

Town & City Pub Company restructures

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:24:00 GMT

Commerzbank has acquired an equity stake in Town & City Pub Company from Kaupthing, the state-controlled Icelandic bank.

Journeys’ admin sees sites for sale

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

A clutch of sites previously operated by fledgling bar and inn group Journeys Limited have been put on the market after the company went into administration.

Bay Restaurants in debt-for-equity swap

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:58:00 GMT

Bay Restaurants, the owner of La Tasca and Slug & Lettuce, has undergone a financial restructure that provides a new £150m debt facility until 2012.

Regent hoists

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:48:00 GMT

The “for sale” sign has been officially hoisted at Regent Inns, the embattled operator of Walkabout.

Father Ted Pubs and Bars acquires tenth site

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:12:00 GMT

Father Ted (FT) Pubs and Bars, which owns and operates nine leasehold sites in London - six Enterprise Inns sites and three free-of-tie leases - has acquired another Enterprise Inns venue.

Mitchell's to sell six pubs

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 04:48:00 GMT

Mitchell’s of Lancaster, the family-owned pub operator and brewer, is selling six freehold pubs as part of a rationalisation of the pub group’s estate

Indigo Leisure buys Punch freehold

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:58:00 GMT

Brighton-based Indigo Leisure has bought the freehold of one of its Punch pubs. Barclays Commercial Bank provided funding of £700,000 for the purchase for the Star & Sailor.

Barnsley House sold

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:53:00 GMT

The Barnsley House hotel and pub business has been sold through administrators KPMG for an undisclosed fee.

Collyer: Punch has raised circa £220m from pub sales

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:50:00 GMT

A City analyst has estimated that Punch Taverns has raised around £220m from disposing of 298 pubs so far this year.

Wear Inns buys two Punch pubs

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:01:00 GMT

North East based operator Wear Inns has purchased two freehold pubs from Punch Taverns for an undisclosed sum.

Third pub for Flying Kiwi

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:12:00 GMT

A Kiwi chef has added a third pub to his group of Norfolk inns.

Welsh brewer to open £1m Cardiff pub

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:46:00 GMT

A Welsh brewing and pub entrepreneur is to open a new £1m “traditional” pub in Cardiff — the first to be built in the city for 25 years.

Hosts buy Punch freehold

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:34:00 GMT

Amanda and Chris Baker have acquired the freehold of their Punch pub in Buckinghamshire £525,000.

Doncaster Brewery back in business

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:07:00 GMT

Thorne Brewery in Doncaster has brewed its first pint since 1986 — all profits will be reinvested back into the local community

SA Brain outsources distrbution to Tradeteam

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:16:00 GMT

Welsh brewer SA Brain has signed an eight-year deal with Tradeteam to distribute all its drinks throughout Wales and the South West.

Nexum to sell club

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Nexum, the nightclub operator, is understood to be close to disposing of a site in Stafford.

Northern pubs to go under hammer

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:17:00 GMT

Auctions in Leeds and Manchester will see 18 pubs go under the hammer in July, including a number from Robinsons and Thwaites.

Second site for Peppermill

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:10:00 GMT

A former general manager of a Paul Salisbury pub and an ex-Peach Pub Company head chef have opened a Hampshire pub.

St Austell buys four Punch pubs

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:16:00 GMT

Cornish-based brewer and operator has bought four freehold pubs from Punch Taverns.

Punch puts 50 pubs on the market

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:01:00 GMT

Punch Taverns has put a further 50-strong package of pubs on the market — it is thought the pubs are from the managed division.

More pubs go down the auction route

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:00 GMT

As the summer hots up so do auction sales, with 44 pubs set to go under the hammer in three sales at the start of July.

Ramsay host takes on Yorkshire pub

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:51:00 GMT

The licensee who featured in Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares has left the pub featured in the Channel Four show.

Punch lessee buys £1m freehold

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Punch lessee and gastropub operator Michael Kittos has bought the freehold of his pub the Queen's Head & Artichoke in London.