Whitbread buys 49% stake in London grab and go business
Hospitality giant Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn and Costa brands, has bought a 49% stake in a London grab and go business called Healthy Retail, trading as Pure.
Pure, which currently has eight sites in the capital, and is set to open its ninth in Camden this week, will continue to be managed and operated by the Pure management team. Whitbread has the option to buy the remaining 51% within the next five years.
Pure is a food-led grab and go and online delivery concept, which specialises in fresh, natural, healthy meals made individually for the customer.
Alison Brittain, CEO of Whitbread, said: "I am very impressed by Pure, which appeals to health conscious busy people, offering a choice of natural fresh food. As the UK's largest hospitality company, it's vital that Whitbread has its finger on the pulse of consumer trends and that we innovate with new formats and concepts. I see considerable opportunities to grow the brand and by taking a stake in Pure we fast become part of a business that specialises in the exciting growth market for natural, healthy takeaway food and drink."
Spencer Craig, founder and managing director of Pure, said: "We are very excited about our partnership with Whitbread. I knew from our first meeting that our shared values of looking after our people and providing the best possible customer experience made this an obvious partnership. We have built a loyal customer base as people increasingly demand delicious, seasonal and handmade food at work or on the move. We're growing fast and have plans to open more shops over the next three years. With Whitbread's backing and support we are looking forward to sharing our food with many more people and injecting further pace into building the Pure brand and expanding our network of shops."
Premier Inn targets 85,000 rooms by 2020 >>
UK ‘underinvests in apprentices' says skills minister >>
Premier Inn remains the largest UK hotel brand as 24,000 bedrooms set to open before 2018 >>
Latest video from The Caterer
