Major hospitality chain speeds up plans to sell hundreds of pubs and restaurants - could your local be affected?

16 June 2023, 20:44

There are plans to sell hundreds of pubs and restaurants
There are plans to sell hundreds of pubs and restaurants. Picture: Alamy
Kieran Kelly

By Kieran Kelly

Major hospitality chain Whitbread has sped up plans to sell hundreds of its pubs and restaurants - so could your local be affected?

A number of Beefeater and Brewers Table pubs and restaurants are expected to be sold as the company faces a takeover by the owner of Harvester and Toby Carvery.

Other potential buyers include Greene King, Heineken and Marston's and Punch are also potential buyers, The Times reports.

Around 250 of Whitbread's 440 pubs could be on the chopping block.

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Whitbread is looking to sell hundreds of pubs and restaurants
Whitbread is looking to sell hundreds of pubs and restaurants. Picture: Alamy

At this stage, it is not clear which Beefeater pubs and restaurants could be closed.

However, a number of them are attached to Premier Inn hotels, so if you have any of them local to you, they could face the chop.

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Beefeater Pub
Beefeater Pub. Picture: Alamy

Whitbread's accommodation group sales has seen a big improvement in the 12 months to March, jumping by 27%.

However, food and beverage sales grew by 4%, affecting the company's overall outlook.

Whitbread's sales of some of its pubs and restaurants would make the company's most significant move since it sold Costa Coffee for just under £4billion in 2018.