Hertfordshire brewer and operator McMullen’s said it has exchanged contracts on three of the five sites it placed on the market earlier this year and was considering repositioning a couple more of its existing pubs to its value Chicken & Grill format.
Managing director Peter Furness-Smith told M&C Report that the c135-strong group was “constantly looking to acquire more suitable sites” which have potential over the long term and a strong balance sheet.
He said: “We are in a good position to move quickly and confidentially when the right opportunities present themselves.”
He said that the group had received offers on all five sites that it placed on the market in January. It said that following a review of its pub estate it had decided to sell the freehold interest in The Rest & Welcome, The Tanners Arms, The Farriers, The Green Man and The Maidens Head.
At the time Furness-Smith said that he hoped potential purchasers would see past “this Government’s highly ‘anti pub’ policies and maintain these five public houses as a going concern”.
He said that the group was pleased with the two new sites acquired in the last 12 months – Britannia, Marlow and Quays, Farnborough.
It currently operates five sites under the Chicken & Grill format.
