BDO acted as lead advisor on the sale of The Coaching Inn Group (“TCIG”) to RedCat Pub Company, an investment vehicle founded and chaired by Rooney Anand and backed by Oaktree to invest in the UK pub sector.
TCIG, founded by CEO Kevin Charity in 1996, has a track record of restoring historic coaching inns to their former glory, with a few modern-day twists. At the time of the transaction, the Company operated a predominantly freehold estate of 18 coaching inns located in historic market towns across the Cotswolds, Peak District, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
Kevin and CFO Edward Walsh will continue to lead and run the business within RedCat, and to grow its presence, scale and momentum across the UK.
"Deals this size are not what I do on a daily basis, therefore it felt great to know I had the team at BDO to hold my hand through the process, advise me when I needed it, and to simply “be on it” at every point. Their great communication came through with efficiency, which enabled this deal to get done with pace, I felt in very safe hands."
Kevin Charity, CEO, The Coaching Inn Group
The transaction also saw the Business Growth Fund (“BGF”) make a full exit. BGF acquired a significant minority stake in March 2015 and supported the Company in executing a successful growth strategy which saw the acquisition of more than ten sites in six years.
“The TCIG shareholder’s decision to appoint BDO proved to be a very astute one. The team, led by Harry and Sam, clearly know their sector, and provided important insight and pragmatic support throughout the transaction. We’re delighted with the outcome - I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others or indeed work with them again myself.”
Chris Nixon, BGF