Avebury Taverns is embarking on a pioneering venture to find licensees to fill 120 pubs.
The pubs are being let in one of two ways either as 25-year leases, which are tailored towards people with trade experience, or under a special package, "Starters Dream", that have been developed to encourage newcomers and entrepreneurs into the business.
Yaser Martini, a director of property agent Fleurets, which is handling the lettings, said licensees taking out a 25-year lease would be offered an enhanced discount scheme with a maximum of £90 per barrel.
"This has not been offered by a tied company before and is similar to the discounts available to freeholds," said Martini. Lessees will be tied to beer, cider, flavoured alcoholic beverages and premium packaged spirits but free of tie for wines, spirits and minerals. There are no minimum purchase requirements and no volume penalties.
Avebury's lettings manager Wendy Scalinger added: "All other pubcos should be offering something similar."
The 25-year leases, which are assignable after two years, are being offering at an average figure of £25,000 instead of an industry average of £70,000.
Another feature is that licensees will be able to pocket all the income from juke boxes, cigarette machines, telephones, and all other machines except AWPs (fruit machines), SWPs (quiz and games machines) and pool tables where the split is 50:50 between licensee and Avebury after licence fees and rental have been paid.
Rent is payable monthly not quarterly and Avebury has earmarked capital investments of up to £80,000 on selected outlets.
The Starters Dream package has been devised to attract "talented people who don't necessarily have funding".
There are no set tenure terms, guide rents or ingoing figures in order to maximise the flexibility of any agreement and thereby allow newcomers to develop their business ideas with Avebury.
Around half of the 120 pubs on offer will be let under the Starters Dream package and properties are located nationwide, but with the majority sited in the Midlands and the north of England.
Avebury and Fleurets will stage an open day for prospective licensees at the Leicester Stag Hotel on 6 November, which will also be attended by Avebury core suppliers with firms of solicitors, stocktakers and accountants also on hand to offer advice.