Thwaites makes clear it's not for sale

Daniel Thwaites, the Lancashire-based brewer and pub operator, has celebrated its 200th anniversary by declaring it is not for sale and setting out a £9.5m investment plan for the coming year.

Brian Hickman, managing director, said that the company had no plans to follow groups such as Brakspear, Ridley's, and Hardys and Hansons, which are no longer family-owned.

He said: "The brewing in-dustry has seen many well-known names move out of family control but that has never been a consideration for us. We have a secure shareholder base and are focused on improving our estate."

The group, which operates around 425 pubs and eight hotels, said it expects to spend £3.5m on preparing its sites for the impending smoking ban this summer, including improvements to its food offer.

A further £2m is to be spent adding 24 rooms to its Farmer's Arms pub in Lancaster, which is also expected to be renamed.

The remaining funds are to be invested on expanding and refurbishing its estate, and increasing its international business.

Hickman said the company has set a target of opening 20 new pubs during the year, after opening 11 in the previous 12 months, with a couple of deals close to completion.

He said: "If we can find a package of pubs that fits

our trading estate geographically we will, of course, be interested in a deal, but

I expect acquisitions over the next year to be single asset transactions."

Hickman also said

that the group was looking

at expanding its export business - which currently concentrates on Italy and Germany -and was developing contacts in other European countries.