Hydes Brewery has acquired the Chester-based pub company Woodward and Falconer.
Woodward and Falconer was founded in 2001 and has built up a group of 6 high quality food-led pubs located in Chester, the Wirral and North Wales.
Two of the sites have been extracted from the company and will be retained by Jeremy Woodward so four pubs will join the Hydes estate. These four sites are an ideal geographical fit for Hydes and grow the company’s food-led destination business to 11 sites with a projected turnover of more than £15m, over half of which will be food sales.
The acquisition will increase opportunities for staff across all these sites, promote learning and improvement across the business and result in enhanced buying terms. It will also provide a platform for further acquisitions of food-led businesses.
The four sites that will join the Hydes stable are: The Goshawk, Mouldsworth, Nr Chester; The Stamford Bridge, Tarvin, Nr Chester; The Boathouse, Parkgate, Neston, Wirral, and The Golden Lion, Rosset, Nr Wrexham.
Duncan Falconer, who has managed the Woodward and Falconer business on a day to day basis since its inception, will be joining Hydes.
Hydes Managing Director, Chris Hopkins commented, “This exciting acquisition represents a positive strategic move for the business. We very much look forward to working with the excellent team’s at all four pubs as we continue to develop our food-led business.'
Hydes was founded in 1863 and has remained an independent brewery in the North West of England and North Wales ever since. The brewery, now based in Media City UK, Salford after relocation in 2012, is entirely dedicated to the production of cask ales. Hydes beers are distributed throughout its estate of 60 managed and tenanted houses, free trade customers, wholesalers and pub groups.