Punch Pubs acquires eight pubs from RedCat Hospitality

Punch Pubs has acquired eight pubs from RedCat Hospitality, the operator of the Coaching Inn Group.

The transaction included the Broad Leys in Aylesbury; the Bull in Barming, Maidstone; the Cross Keys in Nottingham; the Crown Inn in Old Dalby; the Hare in Roxwell; the Nags Head in Little Kingshill; the Prince Rupert in Newark, and the Wig & Mitre in Lincoln.

It comes after the sale of RedCat’s 21-strong leased and tenanted pubs division to Admiral Taverns in November 2025 in a bid to shift its focus to its 43-strong premium pubs-with-rooms portfolio.

In February, Punch Pubs acquired 30 pubs from Hertfordshire-based, family-owned brewer and pub operator McMullen’s in a bid to bolster its presence in the region.

The pub group also revealed it will continue to explore acquisition opportunities.

Andy Spencer, chief executive of Punch Pubs & Co, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new pubs into our business. Each pub represents an opportunity to invest, innovate, and inspire and we look forward to working with these much-loved sites and the passionate publicans that run them, to ensure they continue to thrive within the communities they serve.

“I would especially like to thank Kamran Aziz and the Queensway Advisory team, who continue to provide their management services as the pubs and their teams transfer into the Punch business.”

Richard Lewis, chief executive of RedCat Hospitality, added: “This is an important next step for the business and reflects our strategy to focus on fortifying our position as the leading hospitality group dedicated to operating the UK’s best collection of premium inns.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the teams in each and every one of the sites for all their hard work and dedication to making them a success and look forward to seeing them go from strength to strength under the ownership of Punch.”

Punch operates 1,300 outlets across England, Scotland and Wales together with publicans and management partners. The pub company was acquired by Fortress Investment Group, a US-based investor owned by Japan’s SoftBank, for an undisclosed sum in 2021.

RedCat Hospitality was founded in 2021 by former Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand to take advantage of a swathe of pub sites coming to the market after the pandemic.

After growing to over 100 sites, the pub group has restructured its portfolio over the last few years.

The group said it was focused on growing its carveries and accommodation arm following a “transformational” 12 months for the business in September 2025.

In August last year, the business also successfully completed a £61m refinancing of its debt facilities.