M&B looks to triple Browns estate size

Managed operator Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is looking to triple the size of its Browns brand and to almost double its All Bar One chain, according to sources.

The company has rebuffed preliminary approaches from private equity firms keen to buy its Browns and All Bar One chains.

Sources indicate that M&B would like to add 35 sites to the Browns brand to get to 50 sites and around 25 new sites to All Bar One.

The private equity approaches come after a strategy review overseen by new chairman John Lovering, which suggested the company was minded to sell any brand that was not one of its six core drive brands.

But it seems Brown's and All Bar One are not for sale.

An M&B source said: "We're looking to expand Brown's and All Bar One selectively rather than aggressively, as is the case with brands such as Toby Carvery and Harvester." Lovering has indicated that around 15% of its estate —some 200 to 300 wet-led pubs —could be sold to fund expansion into retail parks and elsewhere.

It is thought the three main drink-based concepts at risk are student chain Scream, its Community Pubs and Town Pubs. Lovering has insisted he would like to see M&B's six drive brands — Harvester, Toby Carvery, Crown Carveries, Sizzling Pub Co, Premium Country Dining and Vintage Inns — double to around 1,900 pubs in less than five years.

It is understood that M&B would like to open six new Premium Country Dining venues by September this year, with venues coming from the Ember Inn estate.