Brasserie Bar Co says it's ‘amongst the year's industry winners'

Raymond Blanc's Brasserie Bar Co has reported a 15.8% increase in turnover after turning its focus away from the high street.

Turnover reached £54m in the year ending 1 July 2018. EBITDA was £7.3m, a fall of £45,000 on the previous year.

The company had reshaped its business strategy to focus on its 17-site strong White Brasserie pub portfolio and Brasserie Blanc offerings within hotels, moving its focus away from the saturated high street market.

The chairman's report published with Companies House read: "The group has experienced a challenging year alongside the rest of the market and under the circumstances has fared well."

Falls in the value of Sterling and staffing difficulties linked to Brexit are referenced by the company alongside other cost increases such as food price inflation and compliance with GDPR.

The chairman's report continued: "It is against this background that I am happy to report that, given the environment, we experienced a result that was better than could have been expected. The management and site teams fought tirelessly throughout the year with energy and innovation and can reasonably consider themselves amongst the year's industry winners."

The period saw two new White Brasserie pubs added to its portfolio - in Thame and Histon. The group closed a Brasserie Blanc site in St Albans, leaving the business with 19 of the casual dining sites. Another White Brasserie pub will open in Horsham in the spring.

The company has also undergone an efficiency programme.

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