Top News

Greene King is set to put around 150 of its pubs up for sale in a major shake-up to its estate. The UK brewery giant, which has around 2,500 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, said it has identified around "300 managed sites that would be better served under different models".

It expects roughly half of these - about 150 pubs - to be converted into leased, tenanted or franchise venues within its Pub Partners estate, with the remaining 150 sites to be evaluated for a potential sale over the medium term. The affected venues will be moved into a new, separate business unit while they transition, allowing them to be run on a simplified operating model with a focus on maximising financial returns. Greene King also identified a small number of sites for closure, representing fewer than 2% of the managed estate, in line with the group's typical annual activity. The company said the changes follow a review of its brand portfolio across the entire estate to identify the most suitable format for each site and to create a more efficient system for targeting investment, maximising profitability and support each site's growth.

Chief executive Nick Mackenzie said: "We are confident that our new pub estate strategy will set us up to deliver sustainable profitable growth for the long term as consumer habits continue to evolve and the operating environment remains dynamic.

"The realignment of our estate enables us to play to the strengths of our brands, capitalise on our investment in digital and loyalty, invest effectively in our core portfolio and most importantly continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers."

The shake-up forms part of the company's wider 2030 group strategy, which Greene King says is focused on delivering market share growth and improving margins in what it described as an "increasingly dynamic operating environment".

Funds raised from disposals are expected to be reinvested into the company's core pub estate, alongside plans to invest an estimated £35million this year in digital technology aimed at strengthening customer loyalty and supporting growth.

Greene King operates three main divisions - its 'Managed Pubs' arm runs around 1,500 sites, including brands such as Greene King pubs, Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill, as well as ventures like Hickory's and its hotel business.

Pub Partners oversees around 1,000 leased, tenanted and franchise pubs, including Hive and Nest, supporting independent operators within its estate.

The Brewing & Brands division produces beers at the Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds and Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar.

Its portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker, Belhaven Best and premium beers such as Level Head and Flint Eye.