Stonegate is looking at the possibility of selling between 700 and 800 pubs from its 4,492-strong estate as it considers ways of cutting its £3bn debt.
Britain’s biggest pub company, which is backed by TDR Capital, is understood to have hired Eastdil Secured to advise on options.
If a sale does go ahead, it is likely to be piecemeal and in the second half of the year. But sources said that Stonegate would only pursue the option if it thought it could get a good price.