UK-based St Austell Brewery has signed a deal to purchase The Bath Pub Company for an undisclosed sum, BusinessLive has reported.

The independent brewer and pub company, which operates an estate of 184 venues across the region, said the acquisition would further strengthen and grow its West Country pub estate.

As part of the deal, the independent brewer and pub company purchased The Locksbrook Inn, The Moorfields and The Hare and Hounds pubs.

The Bath Pub Company co-founder and commercial director Justin Sleath will continue to operate The Marlborough Tavern, which is now part of St Austell Brewery’s leased and tenanted estate.

BusinessLive quoted St Austell Brewery’s chief executive Kevin Georgel as saying: “We’re extremely proud to become the new owners of such a high-quality and well-respected pub company in Bath.

“We are fully committed to developing the quality and size of our pub estate. As such, we are investing significantly in our existing pubs whilst also acquiring new sites and businesses, such as The Bath Pub Company.

“The Locksbrook Inn, The Moorfields, The Hare and Hounds and The Marlborough Tavern all have a strong alignment with our long-term plans and are a perfect fit for us, in terms of market and consumer positioning.”

With this deal, the total number of pub sites managed by St Austell Brewery increases to 43.

BusinessLive quoted The Bath Pub Company co-founder and managing director Joe Cussens as saying: “St Austell Brewery is a fellow independent business, rooted in the West Country, which we have respected and admired for a long time. In fact, I first met Kevin Georgel back in 2006 when we initially took on The Marlborough Tavern.”