Description

Portobello Starboard is an acquisition platform backed by Zetland . Since launch in late 2021, Portobello Starboard has owned and operated a group of 18 freehold pubs located across the country and seeks to grow further.

Opportunity

Following dislocation in the pub sector which occurred during the pandemic, Zetland recognised the attractive recovery and growth outlooks for the sector. The strong locations of the pubs alongside an experienced management team with deep expertise in the industry position the pubs to benefit from post-pandemic recovery.

Due to these factors, alongside the significant scale up opportunity through continued M&A, Zetland identified the Portobello Starboard as a platform with great potential for growth.

Value Creation

Zetland is working with management to improve both the atmosphere and look of the pubs through investment in various capital expenditure programmes across the portfolio. These improvements, which include the addition of hotel rooms and increasing floor space, helped pubs to better serve customers.

We supported the business in various ways in order to improve operations and boost growth. These include:

  • Optimizing opening hours
  • Repositioning of pubs away from nightlife in a sustainable manner
  • More extensive staff training

Zetland was able to facilitate enhanced growth through various avenues including negotiating better terms with suppliers, increasing profit margins and creating top-line synergies using food offerings. Additionally, the platform allowed central costs to be allocated across multiple assets, lessening the strain on individuals.