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St Austell Brewery has announced the acquisition of The Bath Pub Company, further growing and strengthening its 184-strong West Country pub estate.
In the deal, St Austell has taken on the operation of four of Bath’s most popular pubs – Locksbrook Inn, The Moorfields, The Hare and Hounds, and The Marlborough Tavern – which have taken the brewery’s total pubs to 43.
The Marlborough Tavern, which is now part of St Austell’s leased and tenanted estate, will continue to be operated by Justin Sleath, The Bath Pub Company’s co-founder and commercial director.
Kevin Georgel, chief executive of St Austell Brewery, 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.”
He added: “We’re looking forward to working closely with the team and building on Joe and Justin’s success in this next chapter.”
Joe Cussens, managing director and co-founder of The Bath Pub Company, added: “St Austell Brewery is a fellow independent business, rooted in the West Country, which we have respected and admired for a long time. In fact, I first met Kevin Georgel back in 2006 when we initially took on The Marlborough Tavern.
“Justin and I 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.”
He added: “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.”
