Epiris acquires Amber Taverns
Amber Taverns operates 178 freehold, wet-led pubs, predominantly in the North of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales
Epiris has announced that Epiris Fund III has agreed to acquire pub operator Amber Taverns for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition is Epiris Fund III’s fifth investment, following Delinian, LoneStar, Pure Cremation and GSF Car Parts.
Amber Taverns operates 178 freehold, wet-led pubs, predominantly in the North of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales, which is “uniquely focused” on the hybrid operator-managed business model.
The business was founded in 2005 by CEO James Baer and has grown consistently by offering a value proposition across a broad range of leading drinks brands, served in the highest-quality environment, with a focus on premium live sports coverage and live music, karaoke and interactive darts.
Among the selling shareholders is Michael George of the mid-market private equity firm MxP, who is also a founding shareholder of Amber Taverns.
Bill Priestley, managing partner at Epiris, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with James and his team to execute a strategy of investment and growth that will build on the fantastic platform they have created.”
Baer added: “We are excited to enter the next growth phase in partnership with Epiris, who invested the time and effort to understand our business and what makes an Amber pub. We are confident that they can support us in our ambitious expansion plans.
“Epiris’ investment further demonstrates that a well-invested pub focused on serving its local community is a resilient and relevant business model, and it is a vote of confidence not just in Amber but in the sector as a whole.”
The Epiris team on the Amber investment are Ian Wood, Aaron Atwal and Scott Forbes.