Heineken invests £39 million in the UK to upgrade and reopen more than 600 pubs that have been closed for a long time.
Refurbishments will be carried out in approximately a quarter (2400) of Heineken’s pubs, which make up the Star Pubs estate. They will include new lighting systems, sound systems and different furniture styles to increase their appeal.
Ninety four pubs will be undergoing makeovers, costing on average £200,000. Heineken stated that pubs can cater to multiple occasions and maximize events with the revamps.
Heineken UK anticipates that between the refurbishments and the reopenings it will create approximately 1,075 new jobs.
Lawson Mountstevens said, “We see time and time again how much value consumers place on a local pub and the importance it has for communities.”
The planned updates include replacing cellars with modern dispense equipment, and introducing energy-efficiency measures like heating controls and insulation. Heineken claims that these changes cost around £12,500 for each pub, but will reduce energy consumption by 15%.
Star has the lowest number pubs closed since 2019. Star will have reopened more than 156 pubs by the end of this year.
Heineken UK is the British subsidiary owned by the Dutch brewing giant Heineken. It acquired the Star Pubs franchise in 2008, when it purchased the Edinburgh-based brewing firm Scottish & Newcastle with Carlsberg.
In 2012, the pubs of Scottish & Newcastle were rebranded as Star Pubs & Bars. The brand had been around in one form or another since 1749.
Reopenings are good news for pubs, who have struggled to recover since the outbreak when they were forced to shut down. Since then, the industry has been hit by a number of economic shocks such as the cost of living crisis or the high grain and energy costs due to the Ukraine war.
The Night Time Industries Association published data last month that showed about 3,000 bars, pubs and nightclubs in London had closed since the pandemic.
Mountstevens stated: “Well-invested Pubs run by Great Licensees will be here for a long time, but they, like all locals need government assistance to reduce the immense tax burden that they shoulder.