West Country pubco St Austell Brewery toasts Bath Ales acquisition
West Country brewer and pub owner St Austell Brewery has acquired Bath Ales for a non-disclosed sum.
Cornwall-based St Austell, which owns 167 pubs and inns in the South West, will acquire both Bath Ales' portfolio of beer brands including Gem and Barnsey, as well as its 11-strong pub estate in Bristol, Bath, Cirencester and Oxford.
St Austell Brewery chief executive James Staughton said the acquisition represented the "coming together of two like-minded businesses".
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"Bath Ales brews great beer and has a thriving pub estate, both of which complement those of St Austell Brewery," Staughton added.
"As part of the acquisition we are committing to a long-term significant investment in the Bath Ales brands, pub estate, people and brewing facilities."
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St Austell Brewery's beer portfolio includes Tribute Cornish Pale Ale and Korev lager. The company surpassed brewing 100,000 brewers' barrels (153,659 hectolitres) of its own-brand beers in 2015, equivalent to 28.8m pints.
Annual turnover at St Austell rose 7.9 per cent in 2015 to £137.4m, while Bath Ales reported sales growth up seven per cent to £15.6m.