Hugh Osmond-backed Various Eateries acquires four premium pubs for £11.5m

Restaurant group buys sites including one in the Cotswolds to launch Linwood Collection brand and rebrand as Coppa Collective

The restaurant group supported by British entrepreneur Hugh Osmond has acquired four pubs for over £11m as it unveils a new brand.

London-listed Various Eateries has purchased the four locations – in the Cotswolds, Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire – from Grosvenor Pubs and Inns for £11.5m.

The group said “premium” pubs with rooms continue to represent an appealing proposition in a hospitality industry which has been battered by business rates increases and employment expenses in recent months.

The pubs produced more than £10m revenue last year and will establish a new brand, the Linwood Collection.

Various Eateries also announced it will rebrand as Coppa Collective, to reflect its “evolution”, as reported by City AM.

Chief executive Mark Loughborough said: “Premium pubs with rooms combine food and drink with accommodation and a broader, destination-led appeal.

“Done well, that mix can deliver resilience and attractive economics, and we believe these sites have the quality to do exactly that.”

The transaction is anticipated to complete later this month and features an option for a further fifth location.

The four properties included in the agreement are Wild Thyme & Honey, near Cirencester in the Cotsworlds, as well as The Hare & Hounds in Berkshire, The Stag on the River in Surrey and The Wellington Arms in Hampshire.

The fifth potential purchase is The Queen’s Head in Surrey. Various Eateries was established by former Pizza Express chief Hugh Osmond, and manages Mediterranean dining chain Coppa Club and Italian restaurant brand Noci.

The hospitality operator currently oversees 20 venues, encompassing restaurants, club houses and hotels.

Mr Osmond also founded Punch Taverns, a pub and bar business which featured on the FTSE small cap index before its £403m private equity acquisition in 2016.