On Wednesday 14 May, it was reported that RedCat, which was founded by Anand during the pandemic, is close to finalising the £90m acquisition.
According to the reports, a deal could be struck within a matter of days and would double the current size of RedCat’s operation, with some 39 sites included in the package.
A spokesperson for Greene King told The Morning Advertiser (The MA): “We have made good progress with Venture Hotels over the last three years. However, we are now looking at all investment options for this part of our business. This includes the possibility of different ownership.”
Anand stepped down from his role as CEO at Greene King and founded RedCat in 2021.
Backed by US investor Oaktree Capital Management, RedCat currently trades from around 100 sites, about a third of which operate under the Coaching Inn Group subsidiary.
Last month, the London-headquartered pubco opened a new flagship site under the Coaching Inn Group brand following a £3m refurbishment.
The Castle of Brecon Hotel in Wales closed in October 2024 for renovations of its 42 bedrooms, the restaurant, bar and all public areas to be completed.
It marked a new push in RedCat’s hospitality capex programme, which is currently being rolled out across both its Coaching Inn Group arm as well as its RedCat Independent Pubs faction.
Earlier this year, the Coaching Inn Group was crowned Best Accommodation Operator at the 2025 Publican Awards.
RedCat group chief executive, Richard Lewis, recently spoke to The MA about its rapid post-pandemic expansion and plans to invest and grow with “targeted” acquisitions.
He said: “The last financial year has been really, a year of transitional turnaround - RedCat has been about turnaround while Coaching Inn Group has been about transitioning management.”
