Henley: Brakspear pulls strong beer and pub results

Brakspear parent company MAT Davies & Sons posted a rise in turnover of 8.4% to £17.8 million for 2013. The Henley-based pub operator and brewer posted a turnover of £16.4m the previous year.

The period is the first to include a full year’s trading for the six tenanted and leased pubs Brakspear acquired in 2012. It also shows a partial year’s trading for the first two managed pubs, the Bull on Bell Street in Henley and the Porch House in Stow, which opened in March and September 2013 respectively.

Brakspear said the two pubs achieved £1.5m in sales and delivered profits in line with expectations. The company is expected to open another managed site next month.

Chief executive Tom Davies said: “These are strong results from a business in excellent health and show the benefit of our approach to running pubs. We will continue to invest in our pubs and our people where we can see the possibility of healthy returns, but, by the same token, will dispose of pubs that have become permanently unviable.”

The company invested £2m in its managed and tenanted estate in 2013.

Davies added: “Our estate has some of the finest pubs in the South East, run by some of the best operators in the industry, and we are optimistic about the trading outlook for our pubs as the country moves out of recession and consumer confidence returns.”

He said that further acquisitions in both the tenanted and leased estate, and the managed house division, could be expected. “Thanks to our healthy financial situation, we’re well placed to act quickly as and when we see pubs that will enhance our estate.”