Laine Pub Company on the market with £60m plus price tag: Laine Pub Company, which has an estate of 55 pubs in Brighton and London, has been placed on the market with a price tag of £60m plus, The Times has reported. The company is being marketed by BDO with interest expected from private equity and trade buyers. The company, led by Gavin George, is backed by Luke Johnson’s Risk Capital Partners and Graphite Capital. Last year, it had underlying earnings of £3.9m on turnover of £30.4m. The Times reported that current run rate for earnings is almost £7m with turnover of £45m. Risk Capital Partners acquired its stake in the business in 2014 and the company has been focused on building it London estate in recent years. In April, it acquired New Pub Company’s six London pubs for £4m. The company operates four on-site microbreweries plus a full production brewery in central Sussex.

Bakkavor announces successful placing at 180p a share: Fresh prepared food supplier Bakkavor has announced the successful pricing of its initial public offering of 144,856,397 Shares at 180p per share. The offer price equates to a market capitalisation of £1,043 million prior to the commencement of unconditional dealings. The Offer represents approximately 25% of the shares of the company. Bakkavor will receive gross proceeds of £100 million from the Offer, which will be used primarily to enable the group to further invest in the business and reduce its current leverage. Simon Burke, independent non-executive chairman of Bakkavor, said: “The board and I are delighted to welcome our new shareholders. It is particularly pleasing that our initial register has such a strong presence of well-respected long-term investors, reflecting an appreciation of the quality of the business and its long-term prospects.” Agust Gudmundsson, chief executive of Bakkavor, said: “This IPO represents a significant milestone in the development of Bakkavor. Our passion for making the best tasting fresh prepared food, underpinned by our expertise and our focus on innovation, has made Bakkavor the clear leader in an attractive and fast-growing market. We are pleased that this has been recognised by the investor community and look forward to delivering further growth and success as a listed business.”

Laurie Benson joins the board of Christie Group: Christie Group has appointed Laurie Benson to its board of directors with effect from Sunday 12 November 2017. Ms Benson joins the board as an independent non-executive director. The company stated: “Laurie has over 30 years of experience in advertising, digital media and digital technology, assisting and advising organisations to exploit the benefits of digital technology. Laurie’s executive career was made up of several high-profile roles in the US and EMEA, including roles with Time Warner and Bloomberg, after an early career which focused on the media industry in New York. Laurie is a thought leader on new digital platforms, how to communicate with audiences and changing media consumption habits and her sector knowledge includes Finance, Healthcare, Transportation, Telecoms, Energy and Media. Laurie currently sits on the board of trustees for The Royal Air Force Museum, is a non-executive board member of both The Charity Commission for England and Wales and The Medical Algorithms Company Limited, and is founding partner of Upnexxt Ltd which provides strategic services to the media industry. Laurie also sits on the Audit and Risk Committee and the Policy and Guidance Committee of The Charity Commission for England and Wales.” David Rugg, chairman and chief executive, said: “I am delighted that Laurie has accepted our invitation to join the board. Her knowledge of digital media and technology will be invaluable as we confront the challenge of continually evolving markets.”