Market Town Taverns boss buys Roosters brewery

Ian Fozard, boss of Yorkshire-based pub operator Market Town Taverns, has bought local microbrewery Roosters and plans to hand control of it to his two sons.

Contracts have been exchanged for the brewery, which is based in Knaresborough, and the sale is to complete at the end of 2011.

Roosters founders Sean and Alison Franklin will continue to run the brewery until the end of the year and will remain involved in a consultancy basis in 2012.

The brewery, which brews around 80-100 barrels per week, will be run by Ian Fozard's sons Oliver and Tom from 2012.

Oliver has been a brewer for almost 11 years, firstly with Daleside Brewery, Harrogate and for the last six and a half years with Copper Dragon Brewery in Skipton. Tom Fozard has retail experience with the Beer Ritz off-licence chain and has worked closely with beer writer Zak Avery.

Ian Fozard, who acted in a personal capacity in the acquisition, said: "I am proud to have been approached by Sean and Alison to take over the brewery. My sons and I are looking forward to working with them during the next eight months.

"We're determined to maintain the innovation and high quality standards for which Roosters beers are highly renowned."

He said: "My lads are very excited. We've been talking for a long time about doing something together. This opportunity came up and we thought we'd go for it."

Roosters' beers are already stocked in Market Town Taverns pubs and Ian Fozard said the deal will have no baring on whether the brands are stocked going forward.