Earlier today, it was confirmed that Greene King is set to swallow up its rival, Spirit Pub Co, in a GBP773.6m (US$1.24bn) deal. Here, just-drinks takes a look at what the Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator is getting for its money:
- Spirit has 1,227 pubs across the UK, with 35% of these in London and the south-east. A total of 794 pubs are managed outlets, while 433 are leased to individual pub licensees
- Headquartered in Burton-upon-Trent, Spirit has 17,136 employees
- In its last full-year to the end of August 2014, Spirit saw its like-for-like sales rise by 4.4% to GBP800.9m. Operating profits came in at GBP159.4m
- Spirit runs its managed pubs under a variety of branded chains, including: Taylor Walker, Chef & Brewer, Fayre & Square, John Barras Pub Co, Flaming Grill Pubs, Wacky Warehouse and Good Night Inns
- Spirit was established by Punch Taverns in 1999 from its acquisition of of the leased and managed estates of Inn Business Group and the UK pub estate of Allied Domecq. In 2002, Punch demerged Spirit from the group. Then in 2006, Punch re-acquired Spirit for GBP2.68bn, when its estate consisted of 1,830 pubs. Spirit was then spun off again from Punch in August 2011 and became separately listed on the London Stock Exchange
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