A pub group which is understood to date back to the 1870s has gone into administration.
Mitchell’s of Lancaster (Brewers) Ltd operates ten public houses across Lancashire. Insolvency specialists Steven Muncaster and Sarah Bell of Duff & Phelps were called in on 12 December 2018.
The company's properties include Fibbers, The Duke of Rothesay, The Old Hall, The Tithe Barn, The Water Witch, The William Mitchell, The Bobbin, The Station Hotel restaurant and bar; 1725 pub and hotel and The Royal Hotel.
Upon the administrators' appointment, 14 staff were made redundant at the Lancaster head office. All establishments are continuing to trade while Duff & Phelps seeks a buyer.
Muncaster said: "The UK pub sector has suffered sustained adversity over the last decade, with the latest ONS statistics showing that nearly a quarter of pubs have closed since 2008, with the majority of these closures being small pubs.
"This troubled landscape coupled with rising business rates, increased minimum wage, and the continued uncertainty surrounding Brexit has created difficult conditions for pubs across the UK. As such, the owners were left with no alternative but to put the company into administration."
Administrators have also been appointed to connected company York Brewery Co Ltd, which operates a brewery within the historic city walls as well as four public houses.