Revenues have risen by a fifth to almost £50m at Cheshire-based Brunning & Price helped by the opening of three new pubs.

The pub group was also boosted by a major award from the Good Pub Guide for one of its sites in Chester.

According to its latest set of accounts, Brunning & Price generated a turnover of £48.4m in the year ending 28 December 2014, up by 20 per cent on a year earlier. Pre-tax profits climbed by 16 per cent to £5.4m over the same period.

The results also show that Brunning & Price's headcount increased to 900 during the period, up from 755 in the prior year.

In their report accompanying the accounts, the directors said: "Brunning & Price traded strongly throughout the year with substantial increases in turnover and profits. The pub business is focused on delivering exceptional food and drink in attractive buildings and locations and as a result has won a number of national and regional awards including the 2015 Good Pub Guide Best Pub of the Year awarded to the Old Harker's Arms in Chester.

"During the year we opened three new pubs, all of which are performing well and are set to deliver strong returns. In 2015, we expect to open between one to three new pubs.

"Our pub business has the potential to grow over the medium term to be a substantial business as a nationwide operator of high-quality food-led pubs."

Late last year, the Old Harkers Arms was named Town Pub of the Year in the 2015 Good Pub Guide. The guide described the venue, which is located at 1 Russell Street in Chester, as a "well-run canalside building with a lively atmosphere, fantastic range of drinks and extremely good food".

Brunning & Price, which is headquartered in Saighton near Chester, owns a network of UK pubs across the North West, the West Midlands, North Wales and the South East.

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