Manchester's Hydes looking to expand pub estate

Manchester brewer and pub operator Hydes is looking to acquire more pub sites in the North-west after reporting its largest profit for three years.

Privately-held Hydes said the increase had seem them achieve £1.9m profit from their estate of 73 pubs for the year ending 1 April, compared with £1.4m the year before.

Sales fell from £27.3m to £22.2m after the company converted several managed pubs to lease.

The company told the Manchester Evening News that the aim was to increase the number of pubs by 20 over the next five years to 93.

Hydes managing director Chris Hopkins said: "We are now looking confidently to the future with our current priorities being to deal with the smoking ban, grow our free trade business and acquire more pub sites.

"Significant investment has been made to ensure that we positively embrace the smoking ban changes by providing external facilities for smokers while also improving the appeal of our sites for those who may have avoided pubs in the past."

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Read the full article in the Manchester Evening News here >>

By Christopher Walton

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