Everards, the privately-owned Leicestershire group, has fortified its pub partnership programme with fledgling brewers, signing its latest deal with the White Horse Brewery in Oxfordshire.
In addition to its latest agreement, which will see the Royal Blenheim in Oxford let to White Horse through a tenancy agreement, the Tiger Bitter brewer is poised to sign deals with microbrewers on a further three pubs.
Under its ‘Project William’ initiative, the company has partnered a number of different niche brewers, opening three pubs with Stoke-based Titanic Brewery, two pubs with Leicester-based Steaming Billy Brewing Company and one pub with the Chesterfield-based Ashover Brewery.
The programme has seen Everards – in concert with these microbrewers – acquire a number of dilapidated or closed pubs and undertake a refurbishment programme, rebadging the pubs under the auspices of the local partner.
In return for setting aside one beer pump on the bar for Everards’ ales, the pubs are given freedom of tie on cask ale, but are contracted to source other wet products from Everards.
Stephen Gould, managing director of Everards, said: “So far its going very well and we are keen to build on the project. To all intents and purposes these pubs look like a brewery tap for the brewers in question, and these companies generate enormous goodwill with the public by going in and turning round what was in many cases an unloved or closed pub.
“They are typically known as microbrewers but really they are first generation family brewers, and offer a fantastic point of difference in local markets.”
Everards has purchased a number of pubs under the scheme. Typical acquisition costs are about £250,000, with up to £400,000 spent on refurbishment.
Gould said the scheme had altered the company’s pub acquisition profile – in the past year Everards, which has 170 pubs, had purchased five closed pubs, four of which now trade under the Project William initiative.
The scheme takes its name from the founder of Everards. Gould said: “We think he would approve. Presumably he was once in the position that these companies are in; brewing great beer and then deciding it was time to open some pubs.”
The work under Project William was recently recognised at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers’ Association) Business Awards.
