Brakspear, the Henley-based tenanted pub operator, has bought its first pubs for six years, acquiring two freehold sites in Middlesex from Enterprise Inns. The move reflects Brakspear’s ambition to enhance its pub portfolio with strategic purchases: further acquisitions are likely later this year.
The pubs are located in Englefield Green and Sunbury, falling within Brakspear’s current trading area. One of the new pubs is a destination food outlet, the other is a wet-led operation. Both are a “perfect fit” to Brakspear’s existing estate, according to chief executive Tom Davies, who said:
“Brakspear is definitely in the market for the right pubs, in the right places. Both these purchases are quality sites, run by talented retailers with whom we are looking forward to building successful partnerships.
“We have acquired these outlets because we believe they will deliver long-term returns for us and our tenants. They fit perfectly with our strategy of acquiring and investing in quality pubs, and attracting the best retailers to run them with us. We believe Brakspear already has one of the best tenanted-only estates in the business and are looking forward to strengthening it even further.”
Brakspear was formed in 2006 when the Brakspear family sold its interest in the company’s 100+ pubs to JT Davies, who owned 50 pubs. Most of the pubs in the combined estate, now numbering around 140, are now branded Brakspear and sell Brakspear beers. The Davies family is closely involved in running the business.
The company’s heartland is in and around Henley-on-Thames, Reading, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Middlesex and up the M4 corridor to London, with a number of sites in and around the City. The estate’s furthest reaches are Northampton to the north, Chichester to the south, Dover to the east and Salisbury to the west.