The Keltek Cornish Brewery has embarked on an ambitious expansion plan starting with the acquisition of four Cornish village pubs.
The Redruth-based brewer has invested more than £1.6 million to purchase the Coppice Inn at Lanner, the Robartes Arms in Illogan, the London Inn at Summercourt and the Fox & Hounds in Scorrier.
With pubs across the country closing on an almost daily basis, Keltek founder Stuart Heath says it’s time to launch a fightback and help to re-establish local pubs at the heart of their communities.
“Pubs have always been a central part of my life,” he said. “Whenever I’ve needed anything from a plumbing job done to having my car fixed, in the past there’s always been someone from the pub I knew and trusted.
“I can imagine a much emptier life without a local pub and many communities have been losing theirs. The idea of celebrating and supporting local pubs which really serve a key role in their surrounding community is very important to me.”
Heath says Keltek will be taking “a landlord-friendly approach” to supplying the pubs.
“Although the pubs are tied to our brand,” he said, “we’ll be selling our real ales to our tied estate at a similar competitive price to those at which we sell to free houses and clubs.
“This will allow our landlords to be both very competitive and make a sensible and reasonable profit on their beer sales. Beer swaps with other breweries up country are another way in which we can keep prices competitive whilst offering a wider choice of ales in our pubs.”
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