LONDON: Various Eateries Plc (VARE.L), the owner and operator of the Coppa Club and Noci restaurant chains, is diversifying into the premium pub sector after striking a deal to acquire a portfolio of four sites from Grosvenor Pubs and Inns for £11.25 million ($14.4 million), the company announced on Friday.
The London-listed group has exchanged contracts on asset purchase agreements to acquire the properties, which will be rebranded as a third operating division named The Linwood Collection. The acquisition is expected to complete on or around March 23, 2026.
The four sites changing hands are the Wild Thyme & Honey in the Cotswolds, The Hare & Hounds in Berkshire, The Stag on the River in Surrey, and The Wellington Arms in Hampshire.
Various Eateries has also agreed terms to acquire a fifth site, The Queen’s Head in Surrey. However, that transaction is subject to a statutory asset of community value (ACV) process, which is expected to take at least six weeks before contracts can be exchanged.
Four of the five sites are freehold, while The Wellington Arms is held on a long leasehold, with the deal conditional on landlord consent.
The company said it plans to preserve the individual identities and current names of the venues, which it described as “high-quality, well-invested assets” with strong local reputations.
To fund the expansion, Various Eateries has secured a new £15 million debt facility with HSBC UK Bank Plc. The package comprises an £8 million three-year term facility with a seven-year amortisation profile, and a £7 million revolving credit facility. The company stressed it does not intend to undertake an equity raise in connection with the deal.
The four sites generated combined revenue of approximately £10.5 million in the 52 weeks ended Dec. 28, 2025, with site-level EBITDA of around £1.5 million, based on unaudited vendor information.
In a separate move reflecting its broadening portfolio, the company announced its intention to change its name to Coppa Collective Plc, with a new stock ticker “COPC” to be adopted once regulatory formalities are completed.
Chief Executive Mark Loughborough said the acquisition represented a logical next step for the group.
“Linwood marks an important step in the evolution of the Group,” Loughborough said. “We are bringing into the business a small collection of premium pubs with rooms that have earned their reputations the right way, through great hospitality, careful attention to detail and a real sense of place.”
He added that the premium pub-with-rooms model offered resilience in the current market by combining food and beverage with accommodation and destination-led appeal.
The company will host a presentation for investors on March 25 to discuss the acquisition and its future strategy.