It has bought three from Punch — the Coppice Inn at Lanner, the Robartes Arms in Illogan, and the Fox & Hounds in Scorrier — and one from a private owner, the London Inn, Summercourt.
The Coppice Inn is run as a managed pub but the others are operated by tenants tied for beers and ciders. Keltek’s own beers are supplied to them at market price and other beers and ciders are sold at a “very modest mark-up”, said Heath, to cover the company’s costs of buying them wholesale.
Regarding expansion, Heath said: “It’s a 10-year plan. I guess that 20 pubs would be appropriate. It’s manageable and affordable.”
Acquisitions are to be self-funded with money from its sister electronics business called OMC.