Hawthorn Leisure acquires 29 pubs from Marston’s
As reported by The Morning Advertiser (MA), NewRiver REIT’s pub arm, Hawthorn Leisure, has acquired 29 pubs from brewer and operator Marston’s for an undisclosed sum.
The deal will see Hawthorn Leisure’s estate pass the 700-pub mark after a £17.9m deal for Bravo Inns – the operator of 44 wet-led community pubs predominantly located in north-west England – in December grew its stable to 698 sites.
Hawthorn’s purchase also follows the sale of 137 Marston’s pubs to Chester-based operator Admiral Taverns in November for £44.9m – growing the latter’s estate past the 1,000-pub mark.
Both Hawthorn Leisure and Marston’s declined to comment on the latest deal.
Midlands-based operator takes fourth Star Pubs & Bars site
Roseacre Pub Company has added the Beacon Hotel in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, to its now nine-strong pub restaurant portfolio – its fourth site from Heineken’s pub arm Star Pubs & Bars.
Roseacre was established in 2014 by Michael Thomas, who previously held senior operating roles at Chef & Brewer, Premier Inn, Vintage Inns and Fayre & Square. Discussing the company’s latest acquisition, he said: “We are always looking for new suburban pubs in the Midlands and want to double the size of the company. A model based on a 60-70% food ratio site with 130 to 140 covers works well for us.
“We get offered sites all the time but as soon as I saw the Beacon Hotel, I knew straight away that it was the right site for us,” Thomas added.
“The Beacon Hotel ticks all the boxes for us. The local community has been amazing and welcomed us with open arms. We like working in partnership with Star Pubs & Bars. They are very supportive and have some excellent sites.”
Peach Pubs sells four freeholds
Pub operator Peach Pubs has announced the sale of the Rose & Crown in Warwick, the One Elm in Stratford, the Swan in Salford and the Richard Onslow in Cranleigh in a ground rent sale and leaseback deal.
The exchange, handled by leisure property specialist Fleurets, paves the way for the next stage of the 19-strong pub company, according to its managing director Hamish Stoddart.
“Peach has grown from an entrepreneurial start-up to a profitable £28m annual business without any other investor funding, remaining privately owned with growth funded from bank and landlord support throughout our 19 years,” he explained.
Stoddart added: “As a result of the deal, we have reduced our debt from £8.5m to £2.5m and have sufficient funding in place to do several projects and new pubs, including our immediate priority, the relaunch of our new pub, Boulters Lock, with a £650,000 spend on the only pub that actually sits on its own island in the River Thames.”
Puttshack, Bounce creator to open immersive bingo experience
Social Entertainment Ventures (SEV), the creator of competitive socialising concepts Bounce and Puttshack and licensed operators of Flight Club in the US, is hoping for a full house at the opening of new bingo experience Hijingo in Shoreditch, east London.
Taking design cues from Blade Runner and the modern neon streets and patterned fabrics of Tokyo, the venue opens its doors on 16 March.
SEV founder Adam Breeden commented: “Hijingo will set a new benchmark for going out. We have created an ultimate environment for guests to have fun with their friends.
“We’re working with some of the best creative talent in the world to give our audiences an epic, memorable experience that you can’t get anywhere else on earth.”
James Gordon, the co-founder of Rebel Bingo who collaborated with SEV on Hijingo's launch added: “Using my experience with bingo pop-ups across the world, it was brilliant to join forces with international industry leaders in experiential socialising to bring to market what I believe to be the most incredible bingo experience the world has ever seen.”
Aiden Byrne to open large restaurant and pub
As reported by MA, Aiden Byrne, the youngest British chef to win a Michelin star, has cooked up plans for a large pub and restaurant in Greater Manchester.
The Merseysider is joining forces with developer Salboy to take on and refurbish the Grade II-listed Black Friar pub on the corner of Blackfriars Road and Trinity Way, Salford.
The reveal of the new venture follows the sudden closure of Byrne’s Manchester flagship eatery MCR, according to MA’s sister title Big Hospitality.
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