Beer and pub company Shepherd Neame is set to take over 13 ale houses in two deals worth £13.4 million.

The Faversham-based brewer is buying eight drinking holes from rival Enterprise Inns.

It said the “high quality pubs” – based in Kent, Sussex and Surrey and operated under lease – had been acquired as part of its strategy to invest in venues “with unique character in landmark or high-profile locations”.

The firm has also reached an agreement to transfer five of its tenanted sites into its managed estate.

The pubs in Canterbury and Faversham are operated by UES Ltd, owned and managed by long-standing tenants Dan Sidders and Gareth Finney, who will join the brewery’s head office team.

Shepherd Neame will manage The Albion Taverna and The Limes in Faversham and The Shakespeare, The Parrot and Ye Olde Beverlie in Canterbury.

Both deals are expected to be completed in the next four weeks bringing its total number of pubs to 336, of which 59 are managed, 270 tenanted and seven under commercial free-of-tie leases.

Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “We are delighted to end another successful year with these excellent opportunities to enhance the quality and profile of our pub estate and to bring new skills in to the team.

“We also welcome Dan and Gareth to the team. We have long admired their impressive standards of service and imaginative and high quality food skills and greatly look forward to working with them in the future.”

Mr Finney said: “We have benefited from investment, training and a broad range of support programmes to build a very successful business.

"We are excited to be joining the retail team.”

Shepherd Neame also revealed like-for-like sales in its managed houses grew 4.6% in the 49 weeks to June 4, while like-for-like earnings before interest, taxes and other charges was up 2.4% in its tenanted estate in the 48 weeks to May 28.

It said its annual results are anticipated to be in line with market expectations.