Mitchells & Butlers plc (also referred to as "M&B") runs over 2,000 managed pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the United Kingdom. The Company's headquarters are in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

History

The Mitchells & Butlers Brewery dates back to a merger in 1898 and was based in the Cape Hill area of Birmingham. The company then merged with Bass in 1961. With the brand currently under ownership of Coors Brewers, the brewery closed in 2002 with production switched to Burton upon Trent. The site is now a housing estate, although the M&B war memorial has been retained and restored.

Their most famous beer was Brew XI (pronounced Brew Eleven), advertised with the slogan "for the men of the Midlands". It is now brewed under licence for Coors by Brains of Cardiff. Bass plc transformed into separate brewing and retail divisions following the Beer Orders of 1989 and then proceeded to build a large hotel portfolio alongside its bingo, betting and electronic leisure interests. In the late 1990s the latter interests were sold. In 2000, it also divested its brewing arm and rebranded itself Six Continents before another split in 2002 into two separate companies, with the hotel assets forming InterContinental Hotels Group and the Mitchells & Butlers name brought back for the pubs and restaurants company.

Mitchells & Butlers purchased 127 Harvester restaurants in September 1995 and by 2006, it had 130. In 2001, it added Arena, Emberinns, Flares, Goose, Sizzling Pub Co, Browns, Alex and Inn Keeper's Lodge to its list of brands.

In July 2006, it purchased 239 pub restaurants from Whitbread for £497 million to strengthen its food business ahead of the introduction of a smoking ban in enclosed public spaces in England in 2007.

In January 2008, Mitchells & Butlers announced significant losses arising out of closure of hedge positions taken in anticipation of a property joint venture that were eventually cancelled due to the credit crunch caused by the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis.

Operations

Mitchells & Butlers now owns several brands of pubs, including Harvester, Sizzling Pub Co., Scream, Toby Carvery, Ember Inns, All Bar One, Browns, Flares, Reflex, O'Neill's and Goose. The company also owns Hollywood Bowl, which runs 25 ten pin bowling alleys around the UK. Other brands and concepts include: Vintage Inns, Castle, Edwards, and Bar Alex (Germany).

References

External links

• Mitchells & Butlers plc
• Entry for brewery at Beer Mad
• Mitchells & Butlers company profile on CatererSearch