Camerons, the North East-based brewer and pub operator, could open as many as 10 sites in the current financial year, chief executive Chris Soley has told MCA.
Soley said the group was hoping to exchange on a site in Nottingham for its Head of Steam brand next week and is also in advanced talks on a non-trading unit in the Temple Row area of Birmingham. Soley said the latter, which shell unit, was likely to be the company’s most expensive conversion to date, with costs of £900,000 expected.
He said the 80-strong group is also searching for sites in the south west for the brand, which will grow to 12 with its launch in Didsbury in February. Bristol, Cardiff and Bath are all key targets, he said.
Soley said while the group’s annual target for openings was six, he believed the pipeline could be strong enough to reach 10 before the end of the financial year, to March.
He said trade across the existing estate had been strong despite headwinds, with like-for-like sales in the year to date up 3%.
He said the group had brought in a food consultant to look at the offer in the Head of Steam estate but stressed that he did not expect a fundamental change to the sales mix.
He said: “We currently sit at around 20% dry sales and I wouldn’t expect it to ever be much higher than 25%. It’s always been our plan to differentiate ourselves on our wet. We have a great range and beer sommeliers in our pubs. But the food element is important and we’ve been working to have a greater range that appeals to all ages and sexes.”
On growth, he said: “Our property manager Mick Hill (who joined in the summer from Mitchells & Butlers) has put his neck on the line saying we can get to 10 and I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t. There are opportunities out there and we have the firepower to be opportunistic.”
