The films The Stud (1978), The Bitch and Quadrophenia (both 1979) were financed by Brent Walker in the 1970s, through Brent Walker Film Distributors Limited. Video productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operas were produced in the 1980s.
In 1979, Brent Walker acquired the Camera Effects post-production and visual effects company which was sold to Rank Organisation in 1981.
In 1987, the company acquired Goldcrest Films for £5 million, through the Masterman joint venture with the Ensign Trust. Later that year, it bought a 27% stake in troubled television production company Trillion for £12 million, and bought out shares from Charterhall, the European investor company.
Brent Walker operated Southend Pier between 1986 and 1988. It also acquired the Kursaal amusement park in Southend in 1988. The local authority stepped in to take over this dilapidated property in the 1990s.
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The London Trocadero, a property in London's West End originally built as a restaurant, was acquired in 1987 as a joint venture with Robin Power, an Irish developer. Brent Walker sold its interest to Power in 1991 at a substantial loss.
Elstree Studios, Borehamwood were acquired in 1988. Brent Walker obtained planning permission for the construction of a Tesco supermarket on the backlot and the studios fell out of use. Faced with a potential compulsory purchase, Brent Walker sold the remaining property to Hertsmere Council in 1996.
The Cameron and Tolly Cobbold Breweries were acquired from Ellerman Investments, a company owned by the Barclay brothers, in 1988 for £240m. The company closed Tolly Cobbold's Cliff Brewery in Ipswich in 1989 and transferred production to Cameron's Hartlepool brewery. The Hartlepool brewery was sold to Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries in 1992.
Pubmaster was formed by Brent Walker as an estate of mainly tenanted pub properties including 386 Grand Metropolitan pubs acquired in 1988 and 800 pubs acquired with the Cameron and Tolly Cobbold breweries. Pubmaster was sold in November 1996 to Silverfleet Capital Limited, a private equity group. At the time it comprised 1600 pubs.
In 1988, Brent Walker purchased the distilled beverage company Whyte & Mackay. The company was sold to American Brands (later called Fortune Brands) in 1990.
The William Hill chain of betting shops and Mecca Bookmakers, were acquired from Grand Metropolitan in 1989 for £685 million. In 1997 William Hill was sold to Nomura for £700m.
