Charles Wells Pub Company is to return to the UK’s managed pub sector with the launch of a new pilot site in Cambridge under the umbrella Seadog Inns, M&C Report understands.
Just under seven years after the group exited the UK’s managed sector, it is set to reopen the Salisbury Arms - one of its existing tenanted pubs - in Cambridge under the new format where “cask ales are the key feature”.
If the trial is successful it is thought that the company will look to operate a handful of sites under the Seadog Inns vehicle
Situated 20 minutes from the city centre, the Salisbury Arms will also offer “quality all day food”.
Charles Wells, which operates a managed estate in France, finalised its exit from the UK managed pub market in April 2007 with the transfer to lease of its 15-strong Eagle Inns managed division.
The company started to convert its managed house division, which is located across the Northern Home Counties, to lease in 2006.
It is thought it made the move after a failure to build up the estate and the burden of increasing costs.
