British brewery and pub operator Marstons has chosen KPMG as auditor, following a formal tender process to replace PwC, who has held the role since 1963
In its 2017 annual report the brewer said it met with relevant individuals from the other Big Four and certain mid-tier audit firms to assess the suitability of the various potential service providers.
At the end of this process the audit committee concluded that EY, KPMG and Deloitte should be invited to formally tender. The current auditors, PwC, were excluded from the process due to the length of their tenure which prevents them continuing after 2020.
Marstons said it intends to appoint KPMG after the conclusion of the 2018/19 audit. According to the annual report, PwC received £400,000 in fees during 2017.
Nick Backhouse, Marston's audit committee chairman, is due to retire in 2018. Backhouse trained as a chartered accountant with Coopers and Lybrand, now PwC, in 1985.
