Investment firm buys up pub and brewery group

Liberation Group, a pub and brewery business, is to be bought up by Caledonia Investments, who will hold a 98 per cent stake, with the managing team putting in £1.4 million for the remaining two per cent.

The pub group has been on its own acquisition path, buying Somerset-based Butcombe Brewery in January 2015, to top up its portfolio of two breweries, 94 pubs, bars and eateries and over 750 employees. Butcombe has 19 venues in its own pub estate and aims to add another 20 pubs to this in the next five years, having recently bought up two pubs.

LGV Capital, part of Legal & General Capital, sold Liberation Group, which has venues located across the South West and the Channel Islands, to Caledonia Investments in a deal that values the group at £118 million.

The new owner plans to expand the business by buying up assets — single pubs and pub groups in the South of England.

Duncan Johnson of Caledonia commented on the deal: “We are attracted to the business by its high quality pub estate and leading position in the markets in which it operates.

“We believe that with Caledonia's longer term support Liberation will be ideally placed to take advantage of growth opportunities, both within its existing estate and through further selective acquisitions.”

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