Independent, Bedford-based brewery Wells & Co. has added two more pubs to its French estate.
It welcomes the House of Parliament and HMS Victory in Bordeaux, bringing the total of the French Wells & Co. estate to 18.
Both newly-acquired pubs have been trading for more than two decades in their own right, having built strong reputations.
Wells and Co. said that it will ensure that these well-loved community pubs will be able to maximise their potential by ”leaning into the group’s English roots”, injecting the same values and traditions that have worked well previously in Bordeaux.
Wells and Co. has operated in France since 1995, having built up a presence across 7 French cities.
It said the success of these operations in France will give the pub group more opportunity to expand and “unite pints, pubs and people across the nation.”
Shirley Couchman, Chief Operating Officer at Wells and Co., outlined her vision for the future of Wells and Co. in France and the UK, noting that it was the company’s first purchase in France since 2019.
”These sites represent our intent to continue developing and growing our French estate in the coming years, while we simultaneously look at opportunities in our heartland in the UK, where we have 190 pubs.
“We look forward to seeing the success of the two pubs over the coming months”, Couchman added.
