St Austell Brewery completes first acquisition since 2016

21-Sep-2018 - Last updated on 25-Sep-2018 at 16:00 GMT

Iconic venue: St Austell Brewery has acquired the Griffin Inn in Bath, its first purchase since Bath Ales in 2016

Cornish independent brewery St Austell has agreed to buy a city centre pub in Bath, its first acquisition since purchasing Bath Ales in 2016.

The purchase of the Griffin Inn takes the total number of pubs owned by St Austell Brewery to 179, including a 147-strong portfolio of tenanted sites.

Sam Grimston, previous owner of the Griffin Inn, said: "It’s been a privilege to be the custodian of a Bath icon for nearly four years.

“It is with a combination of pride in my staff, gratitude to my guests and sadness that I will no longer be working with them, that I am selling the fabulous Griffin Inn.

“I believe that the new owners, St Austell Brewery, and their new tenant will be superb guardians.

“I wish them much luck and look forward to seeing the pub continue to flourish."

The Griffin’s new tenant, Jack Werner, already operates three West Country pubs – the Inn at Freshford in Somerset; the Cross Guns at Avoncliff in Wiltshire; and the Old Crown in Kelston, also Somerset.

St Austell Brewery estate director Steve Worrall said: “Established in 1730, the Griffin Inn is an iconic venue in Bath’s city centre.

“We are very proud to add this unique and charming pub – with popular guest accommodation – to our tenanted pub estate.

“We look forward to working with Jack and his team to ensure the Griffin continues to play a vital part in Bath’s vibrant and distinctive pub scene.”

To find out more about pubs for sale, lease and tenancy visit our property site.