1813 Club and Premier Members


1813 Club and Premier Members


Greater Birmingham’s leading companies


A 13-strong chain of KFC restaurants in the South East has been sold to a fellow franchisee of the famous American fast food business. The 13 restaurants belonged to Castlebarn, who have


Where there’s a will: Rebecca Clarke


Wills inquiries surge during crisis


Solicitors at national law firm Clarke Willmott have reported a big increase in inquiries about wills since the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Private client specialists at the


firm, which has an office in Birmingham, say that the worry of the health implications of the virus and people having more time on their hands during lockdown has led to a spike in wills being drafted. Recent studies have consistently


shown more than half of UK adults do not have a will, a statistic Clarke Willmott is hoping to redress. Rebecca Clarke, a senior


associate in the private client team, said: “It has been interesting to see the increase in both enquiries and wills being drafted this year during the pandemic. “Speaking to clients it is a


combination of being faced with such a real and present health danger and lockdown boredom meaning that those admin jobs that are always being put off, are finally being ticked off the list. “Whatever the reason, it is great


that more people are writing their wills and safeguarding their family’s future fortune so that they get the maximum benefit from any inheritance left to them.’ To help people looking into


making a will, Clarke Willmott has developed a free, online ‘Which Will?’ tool that prompts users to think about what is important to them when making a will and recommends which will best meets their needs. Ms Clarke said: “It’s important to


make a will as early as possible and to keep reviewing it. We are calling on people to use the tool as a sign of their commitment to making a will in 2021.”


30CHAMBERLINKMay 2021


sold out of Caskade Group, in a deal put together by franchising experts from Smith Cooper Corporate Finance (SCCF). The buyer now operates 47 KFC and 21 Taco Bell


restaurants, having joined the KFC family in 1996. Castlebarn was acquired by industry veterans David


Catterall and Anton Jebaharan in 2007, following a management buy-out. They went on to develop it into the chain of restaurants that it is today, which employs more than 500 staff. At the same time, the pair ran a


number of Taco Bell restaurants, which, like KFC, are a subsidiary of Yum! Brands. They sold these restaurants several years ago as a first step towards retiring from the restaurant trade. KFC itself was famously founded by


Colonel Harland Sanders during the Great Depression, in 1930. Sanders, one of the first to see the potential of franchising, sold out in 1964. Representing


Castlebarn in the deal


Premier Membership


Contact: Gary Birch T: 0845 6036650


Tasty sale of eateries


were Smith Cooper’s John Farnsworth and David Crump, who initiated, negotiated and project-managed the transaction through to completion. Mr Catterall said: “We’re delighted to have completed


the transaction despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and to have sold to a fellow KFC franchisee. “SCCF demonstrated great knowledge of the sector


and deployed this, and their deal management expertise, to drive the deal to a completion - always considering the commercial, operational and financial implications for us as sellers.” John Farnsworth, who is head of Corporate


Finance at SCCF and a specialist in the food and beverage sector, said: “A sale was originally agreed prior to the first Government-imposed lockdown - which brought all the deals we were working on to a temporary halt. “However, the strength of the KFC brand meant that trading recovered quickly and, as a result, the delay on this transaction was a matter of just a few weeks – making this


completion our first during the pandemic. “That recovery is a testament to both the business skills and experience of David and Anton, and to the team at KFC UK & Ireland, who demonstrated real sector leadership in challenging circumstances. It is really pleasing to complete this deal during a very difficult time.”


Finger lickin’ good deal: John Farnsworth PwC appoints wellbeing expert Ms McCusker helps Caitroina McCusker


Midlands-based Caitroina McCusker has been appointed as the national leader for education in PwC UK’s government leadership team. She will be helping higher


education institutions (HEIs) in the UK and globally to recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.


organisations to transform themselves, both in terms of the introduction of new technology but also in the implementation of modern ways of dealing with employees and others. In the past year she has been supporting universities across the UK – including Aston University - to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, which has included prioritising mental health and wellbeing services for staff and students. She said: “Increasing concerns


are quite rightly being raised around the mental wellbeing of students enrolled in higher education as a result of the pandemic. PwC has been delivering mental health group


training and e-learn sessions to our staff based across the UK. “As a firm we recognise the


importance of mental health advocacy, so we are building on our long term association with the Samaritans to produce a team activity for Aston University to roll- out with their staff and students.” Alec Cameron, vice-chancellor


of Aston University, said: “We place a great deal of importance on the mental health and wellbeing of our students and staff at Aston. “Working with PwC has


enabled us to extend our offering, giving our academic and professional staff skills to support our students and each other in this increasingly significant aspect of university life.”


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