6C pubs group to be renamed Mitchells & Butlers

Six Continents is to rename its pubs division Mitchells & Butlers after the famous chain of managed pubs founded in 1898.

The pubs and hotels will be split into two companies in April and the retail arm will take "one of the greatest names in the history of licensed retailing" says Six Continents.

The pub giant launch its new corporate identity at a fraction of the cost of recent high profile rebrandings undertaken by firms such as Consignia and Accenture.

Six Continents bought M&B chain of pubs in the 1960s but dropped the name some years later.

The name was sold to Interbrew in 2000 when the Belgian brewer bought the entire Bass beer business. It was sold on to US brewer Coors after the UK government ordered Interbrew to sell on some of the acquired brands.

Six Continents bought the name back from Coors for a "very reasonable sum" said spokesman Bob Cartwright. "Mitchells & Butlers was known as a pioneering operator of managed houses," he said. "It was at the cutting edge of pub development offering new levels of amenities such as family dining.

"We consider Six Continents to be at the forefront of pub development today and are very pleased with the new name."

The new company will be the largest operator of managed houses in the UK with more than 2,000 pubs. Retail brands include All Bar One, Ember Inns, Harvester and Vintage Inns.

The original Mitchells & Butlers name was founded in the 1898 by the merger of two Midland family businesses, both owning breweries and pub estates.