Whitbread, one of the UK’s largest hospitality companies, has announced plans to close 261 pubs and restaurants across the country this September, resulting in approximately 3,800 job losses. The closures form part of a strategic shift to concentrate solely on Premier Inn hotels, with some former restaurant sites being converted into additional hotel rooms.
The company’s portfolio includes well-known names such as Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Cookhouse + Pub, Bar + Block, and Premier Inn. A spokesperson for Whitbread explained, “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.”
Across the UK and Ireland, this move will impact around 30,000 employees. Whitbread recruits roughly 15,000 people annually and aims to redeploy as many affected workers as possible, but expects a reduction of approximately 3,800 roles, subject to consultation.
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Locally, some well-loved venues have confirmed their closure dates: Bar + Block in Bath will close on Thursday 3 September, Brewers Fayre in Minehead on Monday 7 September, and The Pavilion Beefeater in Weston-super-Mare on Thursday 10 September.
However, there is potential good news for the Brewers Fayre in Glastonbury, which might be among the few to survive the closures. Queensway Hospitality Group is reportedly negotiating to purchase 53 of the restaurants slated for shutdown, and the Glastonbury pub is believed to be included in this group.
Should the acquisition proceed, the Glastonbury venue is expected to reopen under a new name and brand. Whitbread has confirmed they have reached an agreement for the conditional sale of 53 branded restaurant sites to Queensway Inns, subject to final conditions. Queensway Inns, with extensive UK hospitality experience, intends to continue operating these sites.
The spokesperson added, “Subject to completion of the sale and following the relevant TUPE information and consultation processes, around 900 team members could transfer and will be supported through the process.”
This move aligns with Whitbread’s growth plan announced in April 2024, which includes extending the programme to close remaining branded restaurants while adding roughly 3,600 new hotel extension rooms in high-demand locations by 2026. Additionally, Whitbread plans to enhance guest experiences by introducing new Premier Inn restaurants within its hotels, a format already popular at over half of their Premier Inn locations.