A popular pizza chain has a new owner.

Fourteen Stable restaurants have been bought by Three Joes, the sourdough and craft beer restaurant chain, from Fullers for an undisclosed sum.

The Stable chain started in Bridport back in 2009 and has grown to open restaurants across the country, including Bath, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newquay, Southampton, Winchester and more.

One was opened in Weymouth but it closed suddenly in January this year, with a spokesman stating it had not performed as hoped.

The Bridport restaurant is not included but won't be known as The Stable.

A spokesman for Fuller, Smith & Turner – owners of The Bull Hotel in Bridport - said: "The Stable at The Bull is not part of the sale. We had already taken that site out of The Stable Pizza and Cider and it is part of the overall Bull Hotel operation now.

"It will continue to run as a distinct pizza restaurant, with more of a focus on craft beer too – and it is part of The Bull Hotel."

Tim Hall, chief executive and co-founder of Three Joes, said: “We’ve been huge fans of The Stable since we launched Three Joes in 2017 and this acquisition represents a significant step forward for us. The Stable is five times our size and whilst we are all operating in uncertain times, we are confident the business has a strong future ahead.”

The acquisition was privately funded by Three Joes Shareholders. Tim Hall said: “We have inherited a business from Fullers in superb condition and concluded this complex transaction in less than a week, allowing us to focus on protecting jobs and reopening the sites as quickly as possible.

“We face a genuine challenge restarting our 14 restaurants, but we are confident customers will return and we believe the market will be buoyant by Spring 2021.”

Commenting on the sale of The Stable to Three Joes, Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny, said: “The Stable is a fantastic brand and we are proud to have helped it grow.

“Three Joes is a company that knows pizza, has a similar ethos and culture and has a management team we can trust to look after The Stable. We wish Three Joes every success in taking The Stable on through the next chapter in its history.”

The Three Joes operate three restaurants in Winchester, Fareham and Sheffield and was founded in 2017 by Tim Hall, the founder of healthy fast food chain pod, Peter Bruton, ex-founder of Byron Hamburgers and Emma Blackmore, ex-Pizza Express and Pret menu development and procurement specialist.

Co-founder Emma Blackmore said: “Three Joes is about great value, innovative food for everybody and our customers love what we do.

“These beautiful new restaurants form the perfect backdrop for the fun, easy-going Three Joes experience and I cannot wait to fire the ovens up on this thrilling expansion project.”