Barkby Group adds to pub portfolio

The Barkby Group’s hospitality arm has entered in a new six-year lease agreement for The Ebrington Arms in Gloucestershire.

The group said earlier this year that it was assessing the acquisition of leasehold pubs and expected further opportunities to arise as a result of the pandemic.

Barkby Hospitality has taken on the 17th century village pub, which features five rooms, and holds 2 AA Rosettes, boosting its portfolio of pubs with accommodation. The new addition takes Barky Pubs estate up to seven sites with 60 rooms.

Charles Dickson, executive chairman of Barkby Group, said: “I am delighted to add The Ebrington Arms to our exceptional portfolio of award-winning pubs with accommodation. The pub offers customers a high-class drinking, dining and sleeping experience, as demonstrated by its host of ‘best of’ awards, and I very much welcome them into the Barkby Group.

Dickson said recent trading within Barkby Pubs had been very strong since the end of the national lockdown. “The division is benefitting from staycations due to restricted international travel and a pent up demand for hospitality, based on current bookings we expect this trend to continue throughout the summer,” he added.

The pub division’s short-term strategy remains to increase its portfolio to under a combination of leasehold and freehold acquisitions.