A chain pub in Glastonbury stands a chance of survival as hospitality giant Whitbread announces plans to close 261 of its pubs and restaurants across the UK, resulting in approximately 3,800 job losses. The closures, scheduled for September, come as the company shifts its focus exclusively to its Premier Inn hotel brand.
Whitbread, known for managing brands including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Cookhouse + Pub, and Bar + Block, revealed that many of the closed restaurants will be repurposed as hotel rooms to support its expanding Premier Inn portfolio. Some establishments will also be sold as ongoing businesses.
A Whitbread spokesperson commented, “This change will involve exiting all of our remaining branded restaurants, a number of which will be converted into approximately 600 additional Premier Inn rooms, with the remainder expected to be sold as going concerns.”
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The company has also warned that over 10% of its 30,000-strong workforce across the UK and Ireland may be affected, though it plans to redeploy as many employees as possible given its usual recruitment of around 15,000 people annually.
Several local venues have announced confirmed closure dates, including Bar + Block in Bath (3 September), Brewers Fayre in Minehead (7 September), and The Pavilion Beefeater in Weston-super-Mare (10 September). However, the Brewers Fayre in Glastonbury could be an exception.
Reports indicate that Queensway Hospitality Group is in negotiations to acquire 53 Whitbread-branded restaurants slated for closure, with the Glastonbury site rumoured to be among them. Should the purchase be completed, the pub may reopen under a new name and brand.
Whitbread confirmed the conditional sale agreement to Queensway Inns, adding that the hospitality group has extensive UK experience and intends to operate the acquired sites as ongoing concerns. Approximately 900 staff members may transfer to the new owner, pending the legal processes related to employment transfer and consultation.
The spokesperson added, “This proposed sale represents further progress against Whitbread’s accelerating growth plan, first announced in April 2024.”
In April 2024, Whitbread unveiled plans to extend its previous programme to close all remaining branded restaurants and to add 3,600 new hotel rooms in areas with strong demand. This strategy includes enhancing its Premier Inn restaurants within hotels, a format already popular and in use at over half of Premier Inn locations, offering guests a quality breakfast, dinner, and drinks experience nationwide.