St Austell Brewery has announced changes to its senior leadership team, to help deliver on its growth plans for the future. The independent company has also completed on its first acquisition in over two years today, the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle – a step towards its ambition of expanding its 175-strong estate to over two hundred pubs, inns, and hotels in the West Country.
As part of the company’s new leadership team structure, Andrew Turner – who joined the company in March 2020 as Managing Director of Beer & Brands – has been promoted to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. He will oversee all of St Austell Brewery’s day-to-day operations, across its beer business and pub estate.
The company has also appointed Paul Harbottle as its first Commercial Director. Paul has had a distinguished career in the hospitality sector spanning over 20 years, having held senior roles including Chief Operating Officer and Commercial Director for JD Wetherspoons plc, Managing Director of Bermondsey Pub Company, and Group Commercial Director for Ei Group plc.
St Austell Brewery’s new commercial function will provide the essential services – including distribution, procurement, property, and technology – to support operational teams, enabling them to deliver the best possible customer experiences across all areas of the business.
St Austell Brewery has also acquired its 175th site today, the Wellington Hotel – an iconic coaching inn in North Cornwall. Located in the fishing village of Boscastle, with views overlooking the harbour, the business has fourteen bedrooms, three aparthotel suites, a pub, and a restaurant.
Kevin Georgel, Chief Executive, St Austell Brewery said: “With the significant challenges that hospitality businesses are continuing to face including high inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, fragile supply chains and labour shortages, we’ve further strengthened our leadership team to put us in the best possible position to accelerate our growth and release the full potential of our business.
“Since Andrew Turner joined us in March 2020, to lead our beer & brands teams, we’ve made considerable progress in this area of the business and developed our brand portfolio to ensure that it is fit for the future. With these strong foundations in place, we’re confident that now is the right time to align all operations under Andrew’s leadership.
“We’re also thrilled to be welcoming Paul Harbottle to lead our newly formed commercial function, he will bring a wealth of knowledge and industry experience to our senior leadership team and the wider business.
“Forming strong operational and commercial arms – led by Andrew and Paul – will allow us to place an even greater focus on delivering brilliant experiences all year round, for every single customer – whether they are visiting one of our pubs, drinking one of our beers, or ordering from us as a wholesale supplier.”
Speaking on today’s acquisition of the Wellington Hotel in Boscastle, he continued:
“We’re delighted to have completed on the Wellington today, our first acquisition in over two years. Located on the Cornish coast, it’s a family-friendly destination with great views, a pub, a restaurant, and overnight accommodation, making it popular with both locals and visitors. It fits perfectly with our managed estate and the variety of guest experiences we always look to offer.
“This is a further milestone in the strong recovery we’ve continued to make since the pandemic and supports our plans to strengthen and grow our pub estate across the South West in the months and years ahead.”
