The Stroud acquisition takes Honeycomb Houses to 13 sites, with the division set to grow to 14 following the planned redevelopment of the former Crazy Bear property in Beaconsfield.
Join our WhatsApp channel: The Morning Round-Up
Get the biggest pub trade stories straight to your phone. Listen to our one-minute daily news briefing and receive breaking news, exclusives and sector updates throughout the day. Remember to turn notifications on in the top right corner!
The Grade II-listed Stroud Hotel, which has 24 bedrooms and a functions and dining business, will join Honeycomb Houses following a brief closure to introduce the group’s operating model.
‘Iconic business’
The venue is scheduled to reopen on 10 November, with its existing team remaining in place.
Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said: “We’re delighted to be taking on The Stroud Hotel, which is an iconic business within the town.
“It’s complementary to our established strength in the immediate area and more widely across the Cotswolds, and as a family-owned business we take our responsibilities as the new custodians of this wonderful building seriously.”
Further deals
Brakspear has also acquired the former Crazy Bear properties in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and Stadhampton, Oxfordshire, after both businesses entered administration in October.
The sites closed following the appointment of administrators on 27 October, with existing bookings cancelled and the majority of approximately 130 employees made redundant.
The Beaconsfield property is expected to join Honeycomb Houses following a substantial redevelopment, with reopening targeted for the second half of 2027, subject to planning approval.
Brakspear is still considering whether the Stadhampton site will join its managed division or leased and tenanted estate.
The acquisitions follow Brakspear reporting a 16% increase in turnover to £47.9m for the year ended 28 December 2025, with its Honeycomb Houses managed division recording 23% sales growth and a 7% like-for-like increase.
Earlier this year, the operator also expanded its leased and tenanted estate with three Surrey pub acquisitions from Grosvenor Pubs & Inns, the Cricketers on the Green, the Kings Arms and the Duke of Cambridge.
