Bath Travel buys Baxter Hoare

A year ago, with its lease coming to an end, Baxter Hoare moved from its shop front premises in Borough High Street to Hibernia House in Winchester Walk. The shop is now occupied by a branch of Pret a Manger.

The company is 125 years old having been founded as shipping agents at London Bridge in 1883. Today, in addition to offering leisure travel and holidays for individuals, families and groups, Baxter Hoare has a dedicated business travel team. Its long established exhibition booking service brings many overseas visitors to Britain.

New owner Bath Business Travel is part the Bournemouth-based Bath Travel Group founded in 1924. The late Peter Bath launched its airline Palmair which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Despite having just one plane, Palmair won the Best Short Haul Carrier prize in the 2008 Which? Awards having been listed alongside Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines.

Bath Business Travel managing director Adam White said: "We are delighted to welcome the highly experienced Baxter Hoare team to the Bath Travel Group. This is great news for our customers and both teams of staff as a London operation will clearly provide new exciting opportunities for all our businesses whilst simultaneously offering enhanced career development potential for our people."

Baxter Hoare Travel has nine staff at its Borough Market office. Managing director Colin Saunders, who has been associated with the company for forty years, will remain in post.

There are no immediate plans to drop the familiar name Baxter Hoare.

This article was updated on 15 March 2009