Red Oak Taverns seeks more sites

Red Oak Taverns, the tenanted and managed pub company, is on the acquisitions trail after completing a refinancing, the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister title M&C Report has learnt.

Director Mark Grunnell told M&C Report that the company has sold seven pubs and bought two since it was founded in late 2011 with the acquisition of 32 pubs formerly from Robert Tchenguiz’s R&L Properties pub estate. One more is due for disposal.

“We are working to our own programme and we will be well placed to acquire more pubs, which is absolutely our plan.”

Grunnell said a refinancing had been arranged with a “major high-street bank”. “That gives us more options in terms of acquisitions.”

The 27-strong company has been implementing a refurbishment programme and reopened the Kings Arms in Whitchurch, Hampshire, following a “substantial” investment, with the kitchen fully refitted.

Red Oak operates a handful of managed pubs.

Grunnell explained: “We are generally a tenanted company, but where we do more substantial refurbs we do like to keep them in-house and keep it flexible; we have the option to do both.”