Heineken to reopen 60 pubs in UK

Brewing giant Heineken says it is investing £39m in hundreds of its UK pubs and reopening 62 that were closed in recent years.
The company says the cash injection in its Star Pubs chain will create more than 1,000 new jobs.
The move will see Star make renovations at more than 600 hundred pubs, around a quarter of the 2,400-strong chain.
The Netherlands-based firm says the locations that will see improvements reflect how many of its customers have cut back on how often they commute into city centres.
The work will "concentrate on transforming tired pubs in suburban areas into premium locals", Heineken said.
The investment will include "subtle zoning" work aimed at allowing customers to enjoy different activities like watching sports and dining.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs' managing director, 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."
This and other similar plans unveiled by Heineken since 2019 represent £200 million in investments.
According to figures from the British Beer and Pub Association, the number of pubs across the UK has been steadily declining, with some 500 pubs closing in 2023.

Shame about their sjite lager.

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Originally Posted by BLUETIT

Brewing giant Heineken says it is investing £39m in hundreds of its UK pubs and reopening 62 that were closed in recent years.
The company says the cash injection in its Star Pubs chain will create more than 1,000 new jobs.
The move will see Star make renovations at more than 600 hundred pubs, around a quarter of the 2,400-strong chain.
The Netherlands-based firm says the locations that will see improvements reflect how many of its customers have cut back on how often they commute into city centres.
The work will "concentrate on transforming tired pubs in suburban areas into premium locals", Heineken said.
The investment will include "subtle zoning" work aimed at allowing customers to enjoy different activities like watching sports and dining.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs' managing director, 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."
This and other similar plans unveiled by Heineken since 2019 represent £200 million in investments.
According to figures from the British Beer and Pub Association, the number of pubs across the UK has been steadily declining, with some 500 pubs closing in 2023.

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Probably a bit of gentrification going on, which I don't like, but has to be good news reopening currently closed pubs 👍

Does anyone know what’s happening with The Westgate? It was supposed to be reopening in the new year.

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Originally Posted by Vic Flange

Does anyone know what’s happening with The Westgate? It was supposed to be reopening in the new year.

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The Westgate got a couple of social media pages, think the Twatter one has loads of City related reposrs. I read on one June this year.

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Originally Posted by bobh

Shame about their sjite lager.

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Nothing wrong with Birra moretti, Amstel ,Fosters and Heineken Export and what’s not to like about Cruz-Campo :sherlock:

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Originally Posted by TWGL1

Nothing wrong with Birra moretti, Amstel ,Fosters and Heineken Export and what’s not to like about Cruz-Campo :sherlock:

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They’re all bog standard mass produced lagers which taste almost exactly the same. Each to their own of course but there is far better on the market.

Who's going to go to them?

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Originally Posted by Vic Flange

They’re all bog standard mass produced lagers which taste almost exactly the same. Each to their own of course but there is far better on the market.

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Can’t knock job creation

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Originally Posted by Vic Flange

They’re all bog standard mass produced lagers which taste almost exactly the same. Each to their own of course but there is far better on the market.

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name that tune.

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Originally Posted by TWGL1

Can’t knock job creation

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Absolutely. I’m really pleased to hear of pubs reopening, it’s great news.

Put £2 on a supermarket can and knock £2 off a pub bought pint. Drinking at home, alone isn’t a good thing for society as a whole. A cup of tea is the ‘at home’ drink and a few pints in a pub with mates is sociable and can much better for the mind and well being and should be encouraged……in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Put £2 on a supermarket can and knock £2 off a pub bought pint. Drinking at home, alone isn’t a good thing for society as a whole. A cup of tea is the ‘at home’ drink and a few pints in a pub with mates is sociable and can much better for the mind and well being and should be encouraged……in my opinion.

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Agree with this. Apply the same principle to ready meals and takeaway food.

I see that The Unicorn, a Star owned pub, has recently reopened after an extensive refurbishment.

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Originally Posted by bobh

Shame about their sjite lager.

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Words starting with 'sj' tend to be Scandinavian rather than Dutch :-)

Any news on where these 'new' pubs will be?

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Originally Posted by tforturton

Any news on where these 'new' pubs will be?

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And who will be going there to keep them open. Most pubs in my area are dead midweek, they close early or entirely on some days.

The ones in town aren't much better and get by off a busy weekend but even they must be struggling, one of the clubs used to be open every Thursday, I'd see people outside there 4am Friday as I was driving home, It's only open Friday and Saturday now and looks dead on a Saturday night when I pass between 9-11 depending on where I'm working, same as spoons etc they are only busy now if theres a big sporting event like rugby internationals or football, and even some of the local pubs are half what they used to be 10 years ago.

Pubs are great. But they need people to go in them to keep them open, and employing staff etc.

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Originally Posted by Dembe

And who will be going there to keep them open. Most pubs in my area are dead midweek, they close early or entirely on some days.

The ones in town aren't much better and get by off a busy weekend but even they must be struggling, one of the clubs used to be open every Thursday, I'd see people outside there 4am Friday as I was driving home, It's only open Friday and Saturday now and looks dead on a Saturday night when I pass between 9-11 depending on where I'm working, same as spoons etc they are only busy now if theres a big sporting event like rugby internationals or football, and even some of the local pubs are half what they used to be 10 years ago.

Pubs are great. But they need people to go in them to keep them open, and employing staff etc.

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And this is exactly why pub drinking has to be made more financially attractive than cheaper ‘at home’ drinking.

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Originally Posted by splott parker

And this is exactly why pub drinking has to be made more financially attractive than cheaper ‘at home’ drinking.

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as a senior I like to have a beer, sit down and to be able to have conversation.

our local pubs are very busy, overcrowded, insufficient seating and expensive beer. it's the whole package which makes inviting friends over more appealing.

I also don't enjoy rowdy yobs using bad language and people out for a ruck.

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Originally Posted by Taffy Blue in Berkshire

as a senior I like to have a beer, sit down and to be able to have conversation.

our local pubs are very busy, overcrowded, insufficient seating and expensive beer. it's the whole package which makes inviting friends over more appealing.

I also don't enjoy rowdy yobs using bad language and people out for a ruck.

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Are pubs that bad your way?

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Put £2 on a supermarket can and knock £2 off a pub bought pint. Drinking at home, alone isn’t a good thing for society as a whole. A cup of tea is the ‘at home’ drink and a few pints in a pub with mates is sociable and can much better for the mind and well being and should be encouraged……in my opinion.

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The breakdown of society, the working man or woman not even being able to afford to go out and have a few drinks anymore…..

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Originally Posted by splott parker

And this is exactly why pub drinking has to be made more financially attractive than cheaper ‘at home’ drinking.

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How would you cut the costs in a pub? Take it off the barrel price? Even then theres still higher staff wages, the electric bill etc.

Do you think supermarkets are just going to roll over and accept their prices being forced up and the backlash they'd get from their customers? Some people don't like drinking in the pub and like a cheap drink at home, what about them?

I think pubs are great and we need them in the community, but I don't think its as simple as you make out.

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Originally Posted by goats

The breakdown of society, the working man or woman not even being able to afford to go out and have a few drinks anymore…..

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Wouldn't you say alcohol has broken society?

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Are pubs that bad your way?

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there are a few decent real ale pubs in Reading like the Nags Head but the ones in our village are not appealing for the reasons I mentioned. not enough places for too many people.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Words starting with 'sj' tend to be Scandinavian rather than Dutch :-)

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Fat fingers.
Either that or I've too much real ale

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Originally Posted by bobh

Fat fingers.
Either that or I've too much real ale

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Sjurely sjome misjtake :-)

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Words starting with 'sj' tend to be Scandinavian rather than Dutch :-)

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Sjambok:-)

Not Scandinavian

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Put £2 on a supermarket can and knock £2 off a pub bought pint. Drinking at home, alone isn’t a good thing for society as a whole. A cup of tea is the ‘at home’ drink and a few pints in a pub with mates is sociable and can much better for the mind and well being and should be encouraged……in my opinion.

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Remember all the garden bars during Covid, it was a laugh at the time but I wouldn't want a pub in my garden full time, do many people still do that?

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Put £2 on a supermarket can and knock £2 off a pub bought pint. Drinking at home, alone isn’t a good thing for society as a whole. A cup of tea is the ‘at home’ drink and a few pints in a pub with mates is sociable and can much better for the mind and well being and should be encouraged……in my opinion.

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I agree many pubs are getting too expensive £5.70 for a pint of average larger in many places now, it's water with some hops and stuff ffs.

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Originally Posted by North Cardiff Blue

I agree many pubs are getting too expensive £5.70 for a pint of average larger in many places now, it's water with some hops and stuff ffs.

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Buy a smaller then :hehe:

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Buy a smaller then :hehe:

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Oh yea, good idea :hehe:

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Buy a smaller then :hehe:

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How you pushing this idea through then?

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Originally Posted by Dembe

How you pushing this idea through then?

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Well NCB was saying how much a larger was…………..:sherlock:

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Originally Posted by splott parker

Well NCB was saying how much a larger was…………..:sherlock:

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Our posts earlier in the thread :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Dembe

Our posts earlier in the thread :thumbup:

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You little skimmer:hehe::thumbup:

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Originally Posted by North Cardiff Blue

Remember all the garden bars during Covid, it was a laugh at the time but I wouldn't want a pub in my garden full time, do many people still do that?

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a bit of a " garden bar " thing on the go around the Villages near me, in the next Village to me I know of 7 garden bars ( I built 2 of them :hehe: ) the latest one I did has 3 beers on tap, a triple beer fridge and a well stocked set of optics, its very traditional in its looks, Oak panelling around the walls ( 4 ft height ), its 5 M X 3 M In foot print, it looks lovely, the guy says he used it twice a week
but its come at a price, as the local pub is always empty and if it wasnt for the food, would be closed