British Country Inns put up for share sale

Located in East Anglia, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Somerset, the pubs are all food-led country inns, which are primarily run on a managed house basis.

British Country Inns (BCI) is looking to make the sale by way of the disposal of the entire share capital of the company, allotted, called up and fully paid. Share sales are where the company changes ownership and not the assets; there are a number of tax benefits as a result where tax can be offset against losses.

Property agents Christie + Co, who are marketing the portfolio of pubs, said a guide price is around £5m.

Food and letting bedrooms​

BCI, one of four companies comprising a total of 27 pubs, which were formed between 2005 and 2007 using funds raised through the Enterprise Investment Scheme, said its portfolio of eight pubs generates a turnover in excess of £3m.

Food accounts for over 60 per cent of total sales, it said.

Some of the pubs also have letting bedrooms, which make up 26 en suite rooms in total, and contribute to wedding and private hire trade throughout the year.

Neil Morgan, director and head of pubs & restaurants at Christie + Co, said: “The sale of British Country Inns represents a fantastic investment opportunity and we were delighted to receive the instruction to find a suitable purchaser for this well established company. The BCI estate features some delightful country inns that have benefited from considerable investment and maintained to a very high standard.”

BCI’s management team is lead by Peter Mathews and Tim Udell, who were also behind English Country Inns, which was sold to Marstons in 2005.