Former Greene King boss eyes Solihull pub chain deal

The former boss of Greene King is thought to be considering a move for a Solihull-headquartered pub chain.

According to reports in The Sunday Times over the weekend, Rooney Anand, who stepped down as Greene King boss in 2019, could snap up Hawthorn, which is being offloaded by New River REIT.

Last month, NewRiver REIT revealed plans to float its Hawthorn pub chain.

The firm said the move is part of plans to take advantage of consumers working from home and using local services and facilities. The Hawthorn pub estate is mainly sited in suburban communities and NewRiver says it expects a “strong bounce back” now that the hospitality sector is reopening.

However, The Sunday Times says that New River REIT could also consider selling the company, which has 700 pubs and is valued at £200m. It has appointed adviser Kinmont to assess the options for a sale.