A major brewer in the UK is working on a massive investment plan to reopen and revamp dozens of pubs across the country. Heineken is reportedly injecting £40 million of cash into its Star Pubs operation that will “help the pubs weather the storms of the last few years.”
The beer maker said that around 1,000 jobs will be created as more than 600 of its 2,400 UK venues receive investment funds to make improvements over the next year. According to the bosses, the move is a “resounding vote of confidence” in the sector despite recent cost increases and pressure on consumer finances, reports the Independent.
Renovation efforts have already begun or been completed to reopen 10 pubs this year, with additional closed locations set to receive investment for reopening and welcoming customers once more.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director, said: “Consistent investment – rather than a stop, start approach – and a strategy of creating great locals have been key to helping our pubs weather the storms of the last few years.
“Heineken sees firsthand the value in great British pubs and their ongoing popularity.
“It recognises that Brits love their locals and that well-invested pubs trade better.
“This £40 million inward investment from a Dutch business into UK pubs is a resounding vote of confidence in the future of the sector.
“Even with pressures on disposable income, people are still prioritising a trip to their local, valuing it as an everyday treat and as a way of connecting with their community.”
Mountstevens called on the UK government to lower taxes on pub owners, which he called “disproportionate.”
Star Pubs licensee Jules Verhulpen reopened the Six Bells pub in Littlehampton, southern England at the end of April after a three-and-a-half-year closure. “We want The Six Bells to become a community within a community, somewhere that residents can come together to socialise and to enjoy events like quizzes, bingo, and themed food nights,” he said.
