Barkby downsizes pub estate as it pushes for profit
Barkby Group has conducted a review of its pub estate, as the real estate and hospitality group looks to return to profitability within the next financial year.
The group has agreed “cash neutral” early lease surrenders the Harcourt Arms in Witney and the Ebrington Arms in Chipping Campden.
Barkby also said it had received an offer for The Plough Inn, Gloucestershire, which has been accepted in principle and is currently in the conveyancing process.
Following this sale, Barkby expects its pub estate to consist of six sites in the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, and West Sussex.
The group said it is aiming to return its pubs business to profitability by improving labour planning and efficiency, stock control processes, and reporting systems.
In November of last year, the group said it looking to dispose of its pub business to focus on building and scaling a portfolio of roadside real estate investments.
Barkby is looking to explore synergies between its pub business and its roadside real estate strategy via the installation of electric vehicle charging hubs. The group hopes this would boost revenue and draw footfall to its remaining roadside pubs.