Green light for Amber Taverns

Amber Taverns, managed operator of 47 pubs headed by former Honeycombe Leisure directors James Baer and Bryan Wardman, has reported a strong surge in turnover and profits.

It saw turnover nearly double from £7.02m to £13.93m for the year to 31 January 2010. Pre-tax profit jumped from £167,121 in2009 to £1.09m in the most recent year. Amber began the year trading with 29 pubs, and added to that with the acquisition of 23 freehold pubs from the administrator of Cains Brewery. Of these 23 properties, 15 were retained and refurbished and seven of the remainder resold.

Like-for-like estate sales were up 4.9%. In February Amber Taverns signed a five-year supply agreement with Heineken UK.

It appeared in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 Companies Awards last December as one of the UK's fastest-growing private companies.

It has achieved an average annual sales increase of 77% and was the only firm in the pub sector to be selected.