Market Town Taverns managing director to step down at end of 2012 after Heron and Brearley integration: Ian Fozard will step down as managing director of 15-strong Market Town Taverns, the company acquired by Isle of Man-based Heron and Brearley in 2011 as a mainland growth platform, at the end of this year. Fozard, who has overseen the integration of Market Town Taverns into Heron and Brearley, told Propel Morning Briefing: “I’m relinquishing my position at the end of December but staying on as a non-executive director. I’m looking forward to getting more involved with the family brewery, Roosters, next year, but also relishing being able to stay in touch with the pub industry.” Fozard will be replaced by Simon Midgley who is currently Market Town Taverns’ operations director. Founded in 1999, Market Town Taverns operates 15 managed pubs located across north and west Yorkshire. The business focuses on real ale, with all of its pubs listed in the 2012 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and holding Cask Marque accreditation. Heron and Brearley’s retail director Steven Taylor said at the time of the acquisition in October last year: “Acquiring Market Town Taverns is very much a coup for Heron and Brearley. An acquisition package of this calibre is extremely rare, given the level of consolidation industry-wide in the current economic climate. Market Town Taverns is a well-run operation and the company’s business model, with its strong focus on delivering excellent customer service, complements that of Heron and Brearley. We see the acquisition of the Market Town Taverns estate as a valuable addition to our portfolio in terms of size and scale, one that presents us with opportunities to strengthen our presence in the UK by gaining a foothold in Yorkshire and, in the longer term, expand across the north of England, drawing on our combined expertise in management, logistics and control. The acquisition not only presents opportunities to introduce new offerings to Isle of Man consumers, but also to enhance staff career development both locally and in Yorkshire, and to promote the Isle of Man to a new and wider audience.” In its most recent report results to the end September 2011 Market Towns Taverns produced pre-tax profit of £523,561 compared to £428,220 the year before. Turnover rose to £6,592,578 from £5,120,331 the year before. The company, which was founded in 1999, added three sites during the year. A report to Companies House stated: “Sales performance again showed a strong improvement of 28 per cent over the previous year as a result of like-for-like sales increases as well as expansion of the estate.”