Pub group to rescue seven Scots bars shut by recession

Published on Wednesday 10 June 2009 21:37

A COMPANY which has created more than 800 full and part-time jobs in England and Wales by reopening licensed premises hit by the credit crunch is to rescue seven pubs in Scotland.

Former jazz venue 80 Queen Street in Edinburgh is one of the outlets to be reopened by the London Town company, as part of a push to regenerate closed licensed premises.

The firm, which has an estate of pubs in England and one outlet north of the Border – Shenanigans in East Kilbride – has teamed up with Punch Taverns to open closed sites. It has already reopened 160 pubs south of the Border.

The Aim-listed group is headed by Scots chief executive Billy Buchanan.

Punch, which has more than 4.3 billion of debt, has said it is looking to sell about 500 pubs and has closed the doors on a large number of its estate.

Scottish operations manager Jan Mimiec, who has been appointed to head up the drive north of the Border, said: "London Town has a great record of reopening pubs and, by bringing in fresh and highly-motivated new pub managers, there is no reason why we can't reopen more closed pubs and reassert their place at the heart of their communities."

London Town has already installed management teams in The Clachan near Dalry, The Bluebell in Castle Douglas, JK's in Dumfries and the Cellar Bar in Paisley.

The Lincoln Inn in Glasgow is scheduled to reopen this weekend. The Imperial in Wishaw and 80 Queen Street could re-launch in the next two weeks.

Buchanan, a chartered accountant who trained at KPMG, worked in the five-a-side football business as part of the team that took Pitz from a 3i-backed start-up to a 28 million disposal. It now trades as Powerleague, with a 23m turnover. He was also involved in the 30m management buy-out of Vida, another five-a-side company.