Alchemy to transform Brasserie Bar into £100m business

The pub and restaurant group founded by Raymond Blanc is to step up the pace of new openings after changing hands for an estimated £40m. Brasserie Bar Co, which owns the Brasserie Blanc and White Brasserie Co brands, will announce today that it has been acquired by Alchemy Partners for an undisclosed sum from Soho Square Capital, a rival private equity firm. The company said the transaction would underpin its plans to accelerate the growth of White Brasserie Co, its pubs business, from 18 sites to 70. Alchemy is said to be keen to take on both freehold and leasehold pubs, which could push its investment over the five-year growth plan to as high as £100m. The Times (£)