Inntrepreneur offers discounts to tenants

Inntrepreneur, the pub company jointly owned by Fosters and Grand Metropolitan, moved to build bridges with disgruntled tenants yesterday by offering its publicans a package of beer discounts and other benefits. The deal, which Inntrepreneur is funding from its own coffers until a supply deal with Scottish & Newcastle expires next March, means the company is unlikely to seek a stock market flotation for at least two years and possibly longer.

The main plank of the package is a base discount of pounds 30 a barrel on beer supplied by Scottish Courage's mainstream brands, which include Courage Best Bitter, Director's, John Smith's, Holsten, Budweiser and Foster's lager.

Inntrepreneur said it would guarantee discounts until September 1998. The company is tied into a supply agreement with Scottish & Newcastle until March 1998 so will have to foot the bill for the benefits until it can use the power of its 2,900-strong pub chain to negotiate more favourable terms from other brewers.