The Liberation Group has acquired four pubs in the West Country within the last month to grow its Butcombe estate to 34 pubs.
These new acquisitions mean The Liberation Group has purchased 10 pubs for their Butcombe estate so far in 2017 – a 42% increase in the size of that estate in nine months, as the company looks to become the leading brewery and pub estate in the South West.
The four pubs purchased are The Quarryman’s Arms in Box, The Royal Oak in Prestbury near Cheltenham, The Horse and Groom in Malmesbury, and The Tavern in Melksham.
Together £4.3 m was paid for the 4 pubs with a combined multiple of EBITDA of 6.9 times.
The new acquisitions mean the Butcombe estate will take on a greater role within the entire 106 strong portfolio of pubs and inns in The Liberation Group.
Mark Crowther, Chief Executive of The Liberation Group said: “These quality freehold pubs will fit perfectly into our growing estate. The West Country is the heartland for Butcombe, we’re continuing to expand our presence here. We’re thrilled to welcome the teams at the Quarryman’s Arms, the Tavern, the Royal Oak, and the Horse and Groom to the Butcombe family. These four fantastic additions bring us another step closer to achieving the wider Liberation Group’s long-term goal of doubling the size if their estate to 200 pubs across Southern England and the Channel Islands.”
The Royal Oak is a 16th Century free house in the village of Prestbury near Cheltenham. The pub features in the Michelin Guide and National Geographic’s Top Ten English Pubs. The Royal Oak benefits from being the closest pub to Cheltenham Racecourse and offers visitors log fires, a snug bar and dining room with a delicious menu.
The Quarryman’s Arms is a 300 year old former miner’s pub in the picturesque village Box on the outskirts of Bath. The pub offers a beer garden with beautiful views over the valley towards Colerne. Inside, the pub has roaring fires and walls adorned with stone-mining memorabilia dating back to when Brunel’s Navvies were building the Great Western Railway.
On the edge of the Cotswolds, The Horse and Groom Inn is a 16th Century pub offers known for its excellent food, real ales and stylish accommodation set in beautiful surroundings. The Inn’s restaurant provides a relaxed space to try delicious menus, whilst the pub garden offers the perfect place for al fresco dining in the summer. The Horse and Groom has five spacious and stylish bedrooms, each with their own large and airy bathroom, complete with roll-top bath.
The Tavern is set close to the centre of Melksham, Wiltshire. The pub known for its cider, live music performance and mouth-watering barbeque food. The tavern also offers a large beer garden for warmer weekends.
-ENDS-
Enquiries:
Butcombe Brewing Co. Tel: 01934 864898
Emmy Webster, Butcombe Brewing Co. Marketing Manager
Instinctif Partners Tel: 020 7457 2020
Matthew Smallwood / Henry Conner
About Butcombe Brewery Co.
Butcombe Brewery Co. was founded in 1978 and has been an icon of the real ale movement ever since. With an ever expanding estate of 34 pubs, Butcombe Brewing Co. now forms part of the Liberation Group, it is moving into a new, exciting phase of its journey, expanding its beer and cider range as well as its pubs and inns estate.