Mukesh Ambani's Reliance buys Britain's iconic Stoke Park for £57 million

BILLIONAIRE Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd has bought Britain's iconic country club and luxury golf resort, Stoke Park, for £57 million.

The acquisition adds to Reliance's current stake in Oberoi hotels and hotel/managed residences in Mumbai that it's developing.

The UK-based firm, which owns a hotel and golf course in Buckinghamshire, UK, will add to Reliance's consumer and hospitality assets, the firm said in a filing late on Thursday (22).

"Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Ltd (RIIHL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, has on April 22, 2021, acquired the entire issued share capital of Stoke Park Limited, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, for £57 million," it said

Stoke Park Limited owns and manages sporting and leisure facilities in Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, UK. The facilities include a hotel, conference facilities, sports facilities and one of the highest rated golf courses in Europe.

"RIIHL will look to enhance the sports and leisure facilities at this heritage site, while fully complying with the planning guidelines and local regulations," Reliance said.

This is the second major acquisition of an iconic British company by Ambani, 64, after he bought British's iconic toy store Hamleys in 2019, to strengthen its retail footprint.

Stoke Park has always had a close relationship to Pinewood Studios and the British film industry. Two James Bond movies -- Goldfinger (1964) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) were filmed at Stoke Park. The epic duel between James Bond (Sean Connery) and Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) is still considered to be the most famous game of golf in cinematic history, the Park stated on its website

Scenes like mini-break and rowing scenes from Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) starring Hugh Grant, Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth were also filmed at the estate with the Georgian-era mansion set in the midst of 300 acres of parkland.

Stoke Park hosts 49 luxury bedrooms and suits, 27-hole golf course, 13 tennis courts and 14 acres of private gardens.

Although the Stoke Park estate has a recorded history of over 900 years, it was used as a private residence until 1908, according to its official website.