Whitbread buys health clubs

WHITBREAD, THE brewing, restaurants and hotels group, has pumped up its leisure arm with a pounds 78.3m purchase of health and fitness club group Racquets & Healthtrack.

The buy will add six health and fitness clubs and more than 35,000 members to Whitbread's growing David Lloyd Leisure division, which operates 47 clubs. The deal will bring membership in the division to almost 170,000.