Three Innis & Gunn taprooms, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, have closed following the brewery’s acquisition by C&C Group last week.
C&C acquired Innis & Gunn’s brand and intellectual property for £4.5m, but the taprooms were not included in the deal and have now closed their doors.
“The integration of Innis & Gunn into the group is expected to present a very low execution risk, with the brand being fully absorbed into the group’s existing operational, commercial, and supply chain infrastructure,” said a C&C Group spokesperson.
“The group intends to develop the Innis & Gunn brand utilising its established production capability, routes to market, and infrastructure, leveraging existing capabilities to unlock brand value with minimal requirement for incremental overhead or capital investment.”
• Heartwood Collection, operator of Heartwood Inns, has acquired The Lord Bute, a well-known hotel and restaurant in Highcliffe, Dorset. The property is adjacent to Heartwood Inns’ existing pub, The Oaks, and will undergo a significant refurbishment before reopening as an extension of the pub.
The acquisition represents another significant milestone in Heartwood Collection’s continued expansion of its premium ‘pub with rooms’ portfolio. Under the ownership of Alchemy Partners, it is well on track to reach 500 bedrooms by June 2027.
“When the opportunity arose to acquire a hotel and restaurant adjacent to our existing pub, we couldn’t believe our luck,” said chief executive Richard Ferrier. “We are delighted to welcome The Lord Bute to Heartwood Inns and intend to invest significantly in both properties. They will operate under The Oaks name, with an autumn opening looking realistic.”
• Turnover at Palmer’s Brewery dropped slightly to £10,209,228 in the year to 31st March, 2025. Pre-tax profit fell to £833,228 from £2,801,284 in 2024. However, in that year, the company made a £65,000 profit on disposal of properties, and £940,182 in a fair value adjustment of investment properties.
“The knowledge and expertise of our best licensees continue to be rewarded with positive like-for-like sales,” said director Anthony Palmer. “Given the ever-increasing cost burden being placed on us all, we are focused on helping our licensees mitigate these increases through sales growth as well as margin and cost control.
“Salary and national insurance rises have hit profitability, as have the increased cost of repairs and business rates. We remain focused on managing costs, being efficient and effective with our resources, and growing the top line.
“The free trade business continues to thrive, thanks to our great beer and brilliant brewery team always going above and beyond to support our customers. The ultimate compliment is customers increasing their trade with us and referring other operators. The team has been rewarded with both.”
• Taverns East Pub Group are to open their third site, the Empire Tavern, on 20th March. The pubs is located next to the famous Hackney Empire theatre, in East London. The group also run the Leytonstone Tavern, in Leytonstone, and Tavern On The Hill, in Walthamstow.
• Black Country Ales has re-opened the Nursery Tavern, in Coventry. The pub was acquired from Stonegate last year.
• SSP Group plc, a hospitality operator with venues in 38 countries, has announced the appointment of Andrew Martin as chair, with effect from 1st June. He will also become chair of the nomination committee. He succeeds Carolyn Bradley, who has served as interim chair since the AGM on 23rd January. Carolyn will remain on the board as senior independent director.
