St Austell Brewery acquires The Bell at Broadway

St Austell Brewery has announced the acquisition of The Bell at Broadway near Ilminster for an undisclosed amount. 

This latest pub will join the independent brewer’s estate of 122 leased and tenanted pubs across the West Country.

As the oldest pub in the area, it was sold by local businessman Robert Doak, who built a strong reputation for excellent food and warm hospitality. 

The Bell at Broadway is a recently refurbished 17th-Century Inn, located three miles outside of Ilminster in the village of Broadway. 

This village pub consists of a bar, restaurant, wood-fired pizza oven, beer garden and six en-suite guest bedrooms. 

Kevin Georgel, CEO of St Austell Brewery, said: “We are committed to growing our pub estate through acquiring pubs that fit our ethos of quality experiences, and as such we are delighted to be acquiring The Bell at Broadway. It is a fantastic pub at the heart of its community with an excellent reputation and loyal following – a perfect match for us.

“Robert and his team at The Bell have done a tremendous job building an authentic, community pub and we are looking forward to continuing this great work with the team. We are now searching for the ideal business partner to run The Bell and will be working with Robert to ensure a smooth handover for the team and customers.” 

Doak added: “It was a difficult decision to let the pub go, but I am excited for its future, safe in the knowledge that St Austell Brewery recognises all that has been done to develop the reputation of the pub. We have worked hard to create the best pub we can, and certainly had some fun on the way!

“Having had a close working relationship with St Austell since we opened, they were the only people we felt comfortable selling to, despite numerous advances over time. I wish them all the best and look forward to giving them our ongoing support from the other side of the bar!”