Montagu Evans today announces the latest in a series of recent senior strategic hires with the appointment of Scottish lease advisory specialist Peter Balnave to its supermarket advisory team.

Balnave’s appointment puts the firm in the unique position of being the only UK consultancy offering investors a dedicated specialist supermarket lease advisory team with expertise across the whole of the UK.

Having headed Cushman & Wakefield’s professional services activities in Scotland for over 30 years and his own advisory firm since 2018, Balnave is best known for his work in advising foodstore investors on their Scottish assets.

Chris Keen, Partner at Montagu Evans, said:  “Peter is widely known by many investors as Scotland’s principal advisor on supermarkets, with unrivalled expertise in rent reviews, lease re-gears and advice on foodstore investments.

“He is a very welcome addition to our team, meaning we can now provide our supermarket clients with a full UK geographical supermarket service that will bring clear advantages to investors at a portfolio-wide level as well as ensure the right strategy for each individual store. Our clients understand the importance of strong lease advisory input from inception, be that planning and development or investment acquisition. Therefore, adding Peter’s expertise to our existing team marks an exciting step forward in supporting our clients to achieve their goals.”

Having worked for mutual clients for many years, both parties saw the opportunity to work together to bring forward the expansion of Montagu Evans’ supermarket team into Scotland.

Peter Balnave added: “After a long career in a partnership at Healey & Baker/Cushman & Wakefield, I have great admiration for the team ethic that drives the Montagu Evans partners, as well as great respect for Chris’s expertise in the foodstore sector. The synergies, and therefore benefits to clients, were immediately obvious to both of us. Client reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, succinctly put by one as a ‘very neat solution for us all’. I think that sums it up rather nicely!”