Batemans acquires Doncaster site in managed pub push
Lincolnshire brewer Batemans has bought the Olive Bar & Grill in Barnby Dun, Doncaster, at a cost of over £900,000, as part of its move into managed pubs.
The property, which currently generates a turnover in excess of £1m per year, will be the company's second managed house. Popular with female guests, it also has seven letting bedrooms, alongside a strong food menu in its dining area. Batemans will keep the venue in its current format for the foreseeable future, and plans to invest over £400,000 in the on-site staff accommodation.
The acquisition forms part of the group's plan to build the managed division of its estate, which, it has stated, it would like to take to 15 sites by 2020. The new property is also the group's first acquisition since the appointment of new retail director Linda Green.
Brian Stevenson, manager of the Olive Bar & Grill, said that Batemans had been very supportive of its existing business and employees, and that he would be very happy to add its list of craft beers to its current drinks offer. He said: "The Olive Bar & Grill is already a hugely popular site, and we're sure that with Batemans' help, we can make it even more so."
Green added that the Olive Bar & Grill marked a departure in the kind of site Batemans had previously chosen, but she was confident it could make it a success. She said: "When it comes to acquisitions, most would expect us to choose a traditional ale house, but… the purchase of the Olive Bar & Grill is something of a realisation of a dream for Batemans."
In operation since 1874, Batemans has nearly 70 pubs across its estate, mainly based across Lincolnshire, the Derbyshire Dales and Norfolk. It brews five permanent cask beers, as well as a range of seasonal and speciality varieties.
It recently announced the opening of its first "manchise" pub, the Woolpack in Louth, Lincolnshire, a cross between a managed and a tenanted pub.
Batemans refurbs its first ‘manchise' pub >>
Batemans Brewery rebrands and adds new beers for 140th year >>
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