The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced it is investigating Admiral Taverns’ acquisition of Hawthorn earlier this year.
The CMA is considering whether the transaction has resulted in a substantial lessening of competition in the UK for goods or services and is inviting interested parties to comment ahead of a deadline of 12 October.
Admiral completed the acquisition of its rival pubco from property investor NewRiver in a £222.3m deal last month. The sale, first announced in July, saw Hawthorn's 674 pubs join Admiral's 969-strong estate, taking its portfolio to more than 1,600 and creating one of Britain's biggest pub firms.