A rapidly expanding pub company is planning to open three more venues in Southend, it was revealed today.

The Estuary Pub Company, run by the Barthaud family, opened three pubs in the last year and have three more possible venues in the pipeline.

The family's pub-owning history dates back three generations when Hilda and Andrew Barthaud ran several venues around Southend and the East End, including the Railway in east Street, Prittlewell.

Their son Andy, who is now in his early 50s, grew up in their pubs and began his own business with the Guildford in Sutton Road.

He started his first chain with the Aristocrat - which is now the Townhouse in Queens Road - and the Silver Jubilee in Rayleigh Road, Eastwood, acquired from the Thwaites family, who were also well known for their pub connections in Southend.

Andy and his wife brought up their children, Paul, 31 and Lisa, 27 above the pubs.

Paul went to work in the city after school, but after a few years came back to work with his father in the pub trade.

He began working in Churchills in Leigh, which became Bellini's, and opened the Hamlet Court in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff.

The family got to know the owners of the Mcmanus Pub Company, who were interested in purchasing their pubs.

Paul said: "We ended up going into business with them and created the new company Estuary, we wanted to change our style of pubs at this stage."

When the new company were able to begin building on their assets they didn't waste any time.

The Mariners Court was opened in Leigh Broadway last April, the Exhange in Southchurch Road in November and now the Trading Room in London Road, Westcliff.

The family have set a budget of £1million for each pub they create with money coming from the cash the family have made over the years.

Their pubs all have a very definitive style, two of them being renovated from old banks. The Exchange still has a working cashpoint machine outside.

Published Tuesday, April 22, 2003

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