Urban & Country Leisure Announce Joint Venture with Inventive and appoint Sir Aubrey Brocklebank to Board

BOUTIQUE PUB & RESTAURANT OPERATOR TRUMPS RECESSION WITH EXPANSION PLANS & JOINT VENTURE.. SIR AUBREY BROCKLEBANK TO JOIN BOARD Urban & Country Leisure Ltd the innovative pub/restaurant management operator and owner run by entrepreneur ROSS SANDERS, has today confirmed that it has entered into a new joint venture with pub company Inventive Property Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of boutique investment house Bridgehouse Capital. The company has also formally confirmed the appointment of former Merchant Banker Sir Aubrey Brocklebank (6th Bt) to also join the board of the new joint venture company as Chairman. Inventive Property Holdings Ltd currently owns five London pubs of which Urban & Country Leisure (UCL) has successfully and profitably operated the management contracts for the last two years. UCL, which currently operates fourteen boutique style pub/restaurant operations across the UK, has also just launched its latest operation THE HUFF CAP INN at Great Alne, Alcester, Warwickshire following an £850k refurbishment. The latest addition to the estate has already achieved a phenomenal first week trading, with gross sales in excess of £35k in severely depressed market conditions. The new joint venture company was formed in response to the success of UCL’s operation of the Inventive Property Holdings Ltd and its rapid expansion and aggressive growth of its fourteen strong pub/restaurant estate over the last two years with its unique “UCL management blueprint”. The venture will see both companies merge to achieve better buying power, a streamlining of operating systems and communications, which will also ultimately provide working capital and funding for the next four years of the planned UCL expansion of its estate. The joint venture will in effect be a reverse equity swap with Urban & Country Leisure Ltd, 100% wholly owned by Ross Sanders, taking a 50% stake and shareholding in Inventive Property Holdings Ltd and Inventive Property Holdings Ltd then taking a reciprocated 50% stake and shareholding in Urban & Country Leisure Ltd. Sir Aubrey Brocklebank (6th Bt) will become the Chairman of the board of Inventive Property Holdings Ltd. The board of the new company includes Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, Ross Sanders, entrepreneur Andy Ruhan (Bridgehouse Capital) and Financial Director Jason Ross. The joint venture has raised a further £2m investment and working capital. Sir Aubrey Brocklebank after qualifying as a chartered accountant became a Merchant Banker. He currently advises a number of small and medium sized businesses as a consultant through periods of change on various matters from raising public and private funding, through to AIM and OFEX stock market entry and listing. Sir Aubrey’s other specialist areas of expertise include that of “Company Doctor” and trouble-shooter, whereby he assesses a company’s financial health and advises on best practice for structure, growth and profitability. He currently sits on seven VCT’s (Venture Capital Trust) boards and has been Chairman of a number of AIM listed companies. He was an SFA (Securities & Futures Authority) registered consultant to Nabarro Wells & Co and Johnson Fry and has assisted some twenty companies to achieve AIM stock market listings as well as being responsible for several successful company turnarounds. Sir Aubrey was also a former investment banker with Merchant Bank Guinness Mahon and venture capital firm Venture Founders. He comes from a long family line and tradition of business and finance. His late uncle Sir Thomas Aubrey Lawies Brocklebank (4th Bt) was the chairman of the shipping line Cunard and the Midland Bank, while his grandfather was a director of the Great Western Railway, Cunard, Suez Canal Company, Martins Bank and LLG (Liverpool London and Globe Insurance). UCL’S future plans include the conclusion of final negotiations with two of the largest pub companies in the UK to take on and develop its unique “UCL management blueprint” that can be rolled out across their respective estates. UCL will then cap its management contract operations to focus on pub/restaurant owned business operations. It also plans a further aggressive expansion plan and has earmarked a further ten to fifteen sites that it plans to own and operate over the next twelve months, taking its estate to thirty units. Ross Sanders said; “We are absolutely delighted to announce the new joint venture deal with Bridge 14 Ltd and to announce our new board and the appointment of chairman Sir Aubrey Brocklebank. Aubrey has an outstanding record in business and finance, he is revered for his immense depth and range of expertise and knowledge. Aubrey will be an outstanding and robust Chairman whose knowledge, guidance and contribution to the company will be invaluable to our continued success and future growth.” UCL’s phenomenal growth over the last two years has come against the worst trading and economic conditions for fifty years. Despite this negative economic picture and an average of fifty-two pub closures per week, UCL has out performed the market and bucked the trend to demonstrate a highly successful and wining formula. Sanders continued; “The economic trading conditions are the worst on record, we have devised a highly successful blueprint for UCL which has been a success because we listen to what our customers want and need. It’s very much about the offering, what you give to your customers, which ultimately decides your success or failure. We have grown out of recession with no bank support, no loan facilities or an overdraft and developed a fifteen strong estate through unique deals with landlords, which has in turn allowed us to progress to the second stage of our development with the current joint venture and joining forces with an equally strong and financially sound company. ” UCL’s estate has seen a dramatic surge in consumer confidence across each of its pub restaurants with food sales up 65% and drink sales up 45%. Sanders attributes the success of his UCL blueprint down to identifying customer trends and needs, careful choice of location, quality interior design schemes along with exceptional food and drink offerings, a realistic pricing policy that aims for repeat quality and volume business across the estate with a high emphasis on customer service. Sanders added finally; “We have a simple message that we deliver and communicate to our customers, in that throughout all of our pubs, we strive to offer exceptional food, sensational service in stylish surroundings at a reasonable price.” ENDS For further information on Urban & Country Leisure Ltd Gerard Franklin or Margaret Murray @ FREQUENCY MEDIA T: 0121 224 7452 - gerard@fmguk.com T: 0121 224 7453 - margaret@fmguk.com