Pubco launches £5m crowdfunding campaign

Allan Harper

Pub redevelopment company Authentic Alehouses is launching a bid to revitalise what it is calling “the great British pub” after launching a £5m loan-based crowdfunding campaign.

Authentic Alehouses is looking to raise the cash on the Crowdstacker platform to fund investment in currently under-performing pubs. The money will be used to refurbish the sites before reopening them; offering artisan food, drinks and entertainment.

Investors in the P2P loan are being offered a 6.5% pa gross interest rate, with the potential to earn income tax-free by investing via Crowdstacker’s ISA.

While Authentic Alehouses says that it important to maintain the authenticity of those pubs identified as suitable for investment, it wants to “streamline and modernise” their operation to ensure wastage is minimised and demand is met for higher quality food, a broader range of new drinks such as craft ales, and family-orientated entertainment.

The company wants to centralise areas of operational management such as ordering and use of up-to-date sales data technology. As part of this, Authentic Alehouses will outsource much of the day-to-day management of the re-opened pubs to Burning Night Group – the firm which has recently opened the Bierkeller pub complex in Nottingham city centre

Burning Night Group itself has hit a £7m funding target on the Crowdstacker platform.

“We feel there is a huge opportunity out there for pubs and bars to reinvent themselves to meet the demands of a modern audience and remain relevant to a new generation,” said Allan Harper, chief executive of Authentic Alehouses.

“People still want to go out and enjoy themselves, nothing has changed there. But what they expect has changed. They want good quality food, a wide choice of drinks and entertainment that fits their lifestyle – whether it’s watching big international football games or taking part in friendly quiz nights.

“Pubs can thrive and become very profitable with the right strategy to suit their local market, and the right management to implement it, and we are confident Authentic Alehouses has all of those successful elements.”

Authentic Alehouses’s current projects include The Albert Hotel in Hull and The Countess of Rosse in Saltaire.

“The Authentic Alehouses team have made their careers out of setting up, turning around or managing successful drinking and eating establishments,” added Karteek Patel, chief executive of Crowdstacker.

“Their track record, proven time and time again, demonstrates they have the expertise to identify a good buy with potential for profit.”

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