The deal, which was completed for an undisclosed amount on Monday 11 September, will see St Austell take over four sites from Bath Pub Company, growing its 184-strong West Country pub estate.
Bath Pub Company managing director and co-founder Joe Cussens said: “St Austell Brewery is a fellow independent business, rooted in the West Country, which we have respected and admired for a long time.
“We are very confident that, as a company which shares our values, St Austell Brewery is the custodian best suited for the next stage of the Bath Pub Company’s development.
“We’re very proud of the business as it is today and know St Austell Brewery has the resources and know-how to grow it further to release the full potential of the pubs in the years to come.”
Strengthened presence
St Austell will take over operations at the Locksbrook Inn, the Moorfields and the Hare & Hounds, bringing the total number of sites in St Austell Brewery’s managed pub estate to 43.
The Marlborough Tavern has joined the company’s leased and tenanted estate and will continue to be operated by Bath Pub Company’s co-founder and commercial director, Justin Sleath.
St Austell said the acquisition of the Bath Pub Company “strengthened” its presence in and around Bath, where it already owns four tenanted pubs.
The firm also acquired Bath Ales in 2017, a deal which included a brewery in Warmley and a local distribution network.
Earlier this year, St Austell also announced a joint venture with the directors of ETM Group to launch a series of premium sports bars in the West County - Ludo Sports Bar & Kitchen.
Next chapter
The first Ludo site opened in Bath this summer.
St Austell Brewery chief executive Kevin Georgel said: “We’re extremely proud to become the new owners of such a high-quality and well-respected pub company in Bath.
“We are fully committed to developing the quality and size of our pub estate.
“As such, we are investing significantly in our existing pubs, whilst also acquiring new sites and businesses such as the Bath Pub Company.
“The Locksbrook Inn, The Moorfields, The Hare & Hounds and The Marlborough Tavern all have a strong alignment with our long-term plans and are a perfect fit for us, in terms of market and consumer positioning.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with the team and building on Joe and Justin’s success in this next chapter.”
