Heineken UK is investing £39m in upgrading and reopening pubs in its Star Pubs’ estate this year in a move which it says demonstrates its confidence in the resilience of the great British local in the face of global uncertainty. The move will create an estimated 1,075 new jobs.
More than 600 of Heineken UK’s 2,400 pubs are in line for improvement, with 94 of these set for makeovers costing on average £200,000. The investment will also cover works to reopen 62 long-term closed locals in 2024. By the end of the year, the company will have reopened 156 such pubs since the start of 2023, reducing the number of closed pubs in its estate to pre-pandemic levels.
Amongst those given a new lease of life is The Ship at Worsbrough near Barnsley. A £370k refurbishment reopened The Ship earlier this year after a four-and-a-half year closure, creating 11 jobs. As well as being a pub, The Ship holds coffee mornings for senior citizens, care home residents and mother & toddler groups and has football, darts and pool teams. It also puts on charity fundraisers and provides meeting space for local groups. In the evenings, there are weekly quiz, bingo, karaoke and live music nights.
New licensee Rebecca Skelly said: “The Ship needed a complete facelift to get customers back – a lick of paint wouldn’t have cut it. The smart new design has been key to converting residents into regulars. The Ship is proof of the need and demand for traditional locals. It’s part of the town’s history. Everyone comes here, from families with children to retirees – it’s a social hub, especially for the neighbourhood’s senior citizens, many of whom sat at home alone before The Ship opened again.”
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ MD, said: “People are looking for maximum value from visits to their local. They want great surroundings and food and drink as well as activities that give them an extra reason to go out, such as sports screenings and entertainment. Creating fantastic locals that can accommodate a range of occasions meets this need and helps pubs fulfil their role as vital third spaces where communities can come together.
“Pubs have proved their enduring appeal; after all the disruption of recent years, Star is on track to have the lowest number of closed pubs since 2019. It’s a tribute to the drive and entrepreneurship of licensees and the importance of continued investment. We’ve spent more than £200m upgrading and maintaining our pubs over the last five years, and we’ll continue to invest to keep them open and thriving.
“Time and again we see the value consumers place on having a good local and how important it is to communities. Well-invested pubs run by great licensees are here to stay, but like all locals, they need Government support to reduce the enormous tax burden they shoulder.”
