Raymond Blanc founded group acquires Staffordshire pub
Heartwood Collection, formerly known as Brasserie Bar & Co, has acquired a Lichfield pub as it looks to add to its 2024 openings.
The Crown has been picked up by the Alchemy Partners-backed group in an off-market transaction. It is set to open in early 2024 and seat more than 240 guests.
Founded by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc, Heartwood Collection is looking to grow its pubs business ‘Heartwood Inns’ with the acquisition of freehold ‘pubs with rooms’ for the first time with the aim of growing the business to 61 pubs and restaurants and 500 rooms in the UK by 2027.
Last month, it secured £100m of funding, with half coming from Alchemy Partners and the rest from OakNorth Bank.
Managing director Richard Ferrier told Propel: “We are delighted to have acquired the Crown in Lichfield from a private individual. It is a market we know well and we believe will really suit our offering. It is a high-quality freehold pub and will be our 23rd Heartwood Inn and 37th pub and brasserie overall. We have several other new inns due to complete in early September, including several new inns with rooms, which gives us real momentum as we enter 2024.”
Richard Tole, Director at WTS Property Consultants brokered the deal and commented: “I am delighted to have acquired this property off market on behalf of Heartwood Collection and I have no doubt that their team will do an excellent job transforming the building which has been vacant for some time. I am very much look forward to visiting the pub as a customer when it re-opens.
It was great to work with Jeremy Brown and Ed Little from Heartwood Collection as well as Phil Moran from TLT, who did a fantastic job on the legals”.
