The Inn Collection Group have taken their pubs with rooms portfolio to 15 with the purchase of a fifth Lake District site.
The north of England pubco has announced the purchase of the 20-bedroom Churchill Inn in Ambleside.
The Inn has been run for the last 24 years by brothers Mark and Craig Routledge and their families, who decided to sell to pursue retirement. Mark Routledge said, “After almost 25 years of ownership it was the right for time for our two families to retire. We hope The Inn Collection Group enjoy it as much as we have over the years. We would like to thank Christie & Co, and especially Tom O’Malley, for their help during this emotional process.”
The multi-million pound deal is the group’s second Lakes acquisition of 2020 and its second venue in the picturesque Lakes town.
The Churchill Inn will be closed temporarily before trading independently until the start of a major redevelopment there, which is set to take place later this year, to bring the site into the group’s ‘eat, drink, sleep and explore’ brand.
Managing director Sean Donkin said, “We are delighted to have added a second Ambleside site to our estate. We’re looking forward to unlocking the venue’s full potential and investing in what will be a valuable new addition for locals and visitors to the Lake District here in Ambleside as we continue to grow our customer base and group foothold across the north of England.”
The group’s second Ambleside venue, The Ambleside Inn opened in December following a major refurbishment, while the group’s 42-bedroom The Coniston Inn in Coniston opened on 1 August, following an 18-month redevelopment.
Elsewhere, the group’s trading portfolio includes sites in Northumberland, County Durham and Yorkshire with a 40-bed new build development currently under construction on Sunderland’s seafront.
The Alchemy-backed The Inn Collection Group – which is supported through banking by OakNorth – is continuing to push ahead with its strategic ‘buy and build’ expansion across the north of England to more than double its portfolio within the next two years.