Hall & Woodhouse buys four freeholds for managed estate

Hall & Woodhouse, the Dorset-based brewer and pub operator, has bought four substantial freehold sites in the past four months, which will be added to its managed estate.

The sites include a new-build, two-storey bar-restaurant overlooking the marina in Portishead, Bristol, which will be named Hall & Woodhouse (Portishead) and open in November.

The site, which was bought from specialist homes developer Persimmon, will mirror the Hall & Woodhouse (Bath) site in that city.

Another unnamed new-build in Melksham, Wiltshire, will be converted to a mid-range pub-restaurant, as will an additional un-named site in Bristol, Hall & Woodhouse said.

The sites are on roundabouts adjacent to busy roads with “high-density surrounding populations”.

Hall & Woodhouse bought the Westover Hall Hotel in Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, earlier this month. The firm plans to rename the venue the Beach House and re-position it as a mid-scale pub-restaurant with rooms.

The Portishead, Bristol and Milford-on-Sea sites cost almost £3m. However, the cost of the Melksham pub was not disclosed.

The company's managing director Anthony Woodhouse said: “Each location has been picked for both its strong and sustainable trading potential and the ability to enhance our estate.”