Marco Pierre White in three new pub ventures

He has taken on the Carnarvon Arms in Newbury and the Black Boy Inn in Banbury, Oxfordshire, with plans to turn the first into his Wheeler’s brand. There are currently six Wheeler’s sites and White is also planning to convert the Hansom Cab in Kensington and the Rainbow Inn in Cooksbridge, East Sussex.

Following the New Year’s Day closing of the Sanguine Hospitality-owned Swan Inn in Aughton, Lancashire, which White had an interest in, another restaurant collaboration between the parties is expected to launch in March in Newcastle.

Sanguine and White are still involved in four restaurants in Liverpool, Chester, Bristol and Birmingham, which opened on 1 December last year.

Mitchells & Butlers has bought the Swan with the deal due to complete by the end of January. The site will re-open around Easter as a Miller & Carter steakhouse.

“The Swan is a very popular venue, but with our growing focus on our core business of operating large branded hotels in prime city centre sites, many of which incorporate thriving Marco Pierre White restaurants, we felt that the Swan Inn would fit better with M&B, who are one of the UK’s leading operators of pubs and restaurants,” said Sanguine Hospitality chairman Simon Matthews-Williams.

“We hope to relocate many of our staff members to new roles within our existing and forthcoming north-west properties, but the law dictates that we must begin the process of consultation and redundancy now. Nevertheless we have assured our staff that we will make every effort to retain as many of them as possible.

“This agreement does not affect our other Aughton property, West Tower, which remains under our ownership.”