Young & Co’s Brewery, the London-based pubs group, is hoisting the ‘for sale’ sign over its tenanted division in a move that will alert potential buyers to the availability of some of the capital’s best-known drinking venues.

Sky News has learnt that Young’s has asked the property agent Savills to handle an auction of its tenanted arm, which comprises just over 50 pubs.

Sources said that discussions had already got underway with prospective bidders.

News of the prospective disposal comes nearly a year after Young’s raised £85m in a placing to help weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group’s tenanted arm, which is known as the Ram Pub Company, accounts for just 5% of total revenue.

The vast majority of sales are generated by its managed pubs division, which comprises about 200 sites.

Young’s brewing arm was sold to Charles Wells, which in turn was taken over by Marston’s in 2017.

The Ram Pub Company’s venues include the Grapes in Wandsworth, located near the Ram Brewery which was part of the original Young’s in 1831.

One of the most prominent participants in pub sector consolidation is expected to be RedCat, a new vehicle set up by Rooney Anand, the former Greene King chief executive.

However, advisers who are close to Mr Anand said that he had no interest in either the Ram Pub Company or Hawthorn Leisure, which has been earmarked for a sale or separate listing by its parent, NewRiver.

Young’s is due to publish its full-year results on Thursday.

A spokesman for Young’s declined to comment.

Related posts:

Buyout firms swoop to buy hedge fund’s stake in Co-operative Bank Ex-ITV chief Lord Allen lined up to chair Balfour Beatty Uber hit with $600m UK drivers’ bill after being forced to classify them as workers GDP is set for a historic bounce-back but the coming decade will be no roaring ’20s Barclays boss Staley emerges victorious after activist investor battle Afghanistan’s economy, supply chain issues and firms inventing COVID protection products HGV crisis: Unprecedented demand for training as drivers load up on pay rises Surprise house price bounce despite wind-down of stamp duty holiday Asda charters ship to navigate a path through Christmas supply chain storms Pendragon profit outlook shifts up a gear as it shrugs off supply shortage Businesses warn of ‘unprecedented’ cost pressures as inflation fears grow Arnold takes reins as Manchester United chief executive