Premium Bars & Restaurants heads to Manchester

Premium Bars & Restaurants' (PBR) decision to relocate its head office from Newcastle to Manchester will only affect up to five of the office's 30 staff, executive chairman Mark Jones said today.

PBR is to retain a regional office in Newcastle, Jones said, which will continue to house back office functions including bar marketing and operations teams.

Jones said the Manchester move reflected the group's "greatly changed focus to a national premium bar and restaurant operator - a strategy which we believe will deliver long term sustainable growth".

"This is a 'centre of gravity issue'. Being based in Newcastle was sensible when we were concentrated in the North East but we're developing the business away from the nightclub market.

"When we bought Living Room we effectively acquired a head office in Manchester and this gives us a base we can expand from," he said.

Under Jones' chairmanship PBR has changed its name from Ultimate Leisure and moved into food-led pubs and restaurants, with the acquisition of the Bel & The Dragon pub restaurant business as well as Manchester-based Living Ventures, which consisted of 13 Living Room branded sites.

A consequence of the relocation will be the departure of group finance director Craig Bell, who does not wish to move his family from the North East.

Jones paid tribute to Bell's seven-year contribution at the group.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Craig for the contribution he has made over the past seven years as the company has both grown and evolved. We wish him all the best for the future."

Jones said he expected the move to the North West to take up to six months - and no fewer than three - as the group searched for a new finance director and effected a number of technical changes required by the Stock Exchange.