Provenance Inns co-founder quits as director

Chris Blundell is now the sole owner of the business after the resignation of his fellow co-founder and the operator’s managing director, Michael Ibbotson.

Speaking after Ibbotson’s resignation, Blundell was quick to clarify that the “forward momentum” of the seven-strong operator would continue.

Ibbotson will remain with Provenance Inns as a consultant and to help identify a new managing director for the pubco.

“Having spent 25 years in the hospitality sector, my passion for the industry is as strong as ever, and there are now other opportunities I want to pursue,” Ibbotson said.

He added that he plans to continue running the Durham Ox in Crayke, North Yorkshire, as a stand-alone business, independent of Provenance.

The departing Ox

Ibbotson first acquired the Durham Ox in 1999. In 2010, he went into partnership with Blundell with the view of taking on multiple sites for the Provenance Inns brand.

The pubco subsequently acquired seven more North Yorkshire sites and now employs 275 employees across the county.

The Durham Ox will now leave the Provenance Inns portfolio, leaving the group with a portfolio of seven sites.