City Pub Company has acquired the Oxford branch of Bath Ales’ Beerd brand and also exchanged on its fourth site in the city, MCA understands.
City Pub Co chairman Clive Watson told MCA the site would be re-branded in the summer.
Meanwhile, St Austell, which acquired Bath Ales last year, told MCA that it remained committed to the Beerd brand but that this particular site was too far outside its heartland.
Watson said: “Bath Ales have done a great job on it and aside from re-branding it as an independent venue there’s not a lot that needs to be done.
“Part of the attraction is that it’s about 200 yards from our George Street Social site, so they should work well together. George Street is quite chainy so there’s a strong attraction in a freehouse offer.
“We’re just waiting on assignment for a fourth site in Oxford, which will take us to four.
“We’re very pleased because Oxford is much more difficult place to get into than Cambridge. It’s not really expanding in the same way.”
Meanwhile, St Austell’s retail director, Adam Luck said: “Following a review of the venues we acquired with the purchase of Bath Ales we concluded that Oxford was too far for us to manage effectively. Following the decision to seek a new operator for the site we were delighted when terms were agreed with the City Pub Company and we wish them every success.”
The acquisitions take City Pub Co’s estate to 32. Watson has previously said he expects the company to be at 35 by September, when the plan is to list on the AIM market.
