The owner of the Brasserie Blanc restaurant chain has revealed a major rebrand as part of a new strategy which will see the hospitality firm expand into pubs with rooms. Brasserie Bar Co, which was acquired by private equity firm Alchemy Partners last year, has said it is being renamed as the Heartwood Collection as part of a refreshed growth strategy.
The group said it plans to almost double its number of sites over the next four years as part of the strategy, on the back of the recent investment. It currently runs 20 premium pubs and 14 Brasserie Blanc restaurants across the UK and has set out plans to grow to 60 locations by June 2027.
The company will create around 1,500 further jobs across the UK as a result, it added. Heartwood said the growth plan will see it snap up new pubs and pubs with rooms, as bosses at the business said it continues to see strong demand for staycations despite the recovery of the international travel market following the pandemic.
Richard Ferrier, managing director of Heartwood, told the PA news agency: “We have always been a pub and restaurant group, but see it as a big year as we are moving into pubs with rooms for the first time. We have a great opportunity to invest in new sites and communities, so it is a really exciting time for us.
“As an industry, there are obviously challenges, but with these areas – pubs and pubs with rooms – we have seen a really positive picture from customers. Staycations are still really strong and customers are definitely veering more towards places to stay with real character, so we think now is actually a great time.”
The new strategy will also focus towards growing its portfolio of freehold sites further in a shift away from leasehold ownership. Heartwood said it has completed the acquisition of 11 freehold sites over the past 12 months, and is close to completing a further five.
Bosses said that Brasserie Blanc – the dining chain named after the group’s chef patron Raymond Blanc – will not be the focus of the growth plan but would still see significant investment.
“We will target new pubs but Brasserie Blanc is still key to the future of the business,” Mr Ferrier said. “Around 30% of the Brasserie Blanc sites will get fresh investment for refurbishment within this plan.”
