Amphire acquires Barbox

Barbox, the online ordering service provider aimed at the independent pub sector, has been acquired by rivals Amphire UK for an undisclosed sum.

Barbox was formed in 2000 as a joint venture between brewers Coors and Scottish & Newcastle and offers a one-stop shop drinks ordering service for some 15,000 pubs, with around £8m of order per week.

Meanwhile Amphire is more active in the foodservice sector and sees the deal as an opportunity to create a "powerful market leader in the hospitality sector", said Jason Ridley, the company's general manager. The new business will have an annual order book worth in excess of £1bn, he added.

Barbox head of marketing and content Geoff Nicholson said existing customers of the company would see no changes to their service, other than an expansion into the offering of food items.

"Our business plan remains in place but in the longer term we will have more resources to do the things we want.

"Amphire fundamentally understands our own goals, and while we've done a cracking job on the drinks side we've struggled on the food area. This deal will rectify that," he added.

Barbox would continue to operate out of its existing offices in Burton On Trent under its existing name and there would be no job losses arising from the acquisition, he said.

The deal is expected to complete later this month.