Greene King Pub Partners, the leased, tenanted, and franchise division of Greene King, is to bring its successful franchise pub concepts to Scotland for the first time.
Both the Hive Pubs and Nest Pubs franchise concepts will be rolled out in Scotland under the umbrella of Belhaven Pub Partners, building on their successes in England whereby Greene King currently operates over 70 franchise pubs.
Belhaven Pub Partners expects to open its first franchise pub in Scotland by April this year, with plans for more franchise openings across the country in 2025 already lined up.
A franchisee in Scotland can take over their own franchise pub from as little as just £3,000 ingoing cost, which covers agreement fees, induction, and on-site training. Earnings are based on a percentage of food and drink sales, with additional opportunities for profit-sharing and performance-based bonuses.
Hive Pubs, Greene King’s first franchise concept, are welcoming local pubs with a buzz located in the hearts of the communities they serve. They provide a great range of drinks and food for every occasion alongside a regular programme of entertainment and live sport.
Nest Pubs are reliable wet-led pubs predominantly located on busy high streets and in communities, providing great value and regular sport and entertainment along with a simple pizza food offer that is easy for operators to serve.
All new Belhaven Pub Partners franchise pubs will benefit from six-figure investments to ensure each pub is ready to deliver its franchise branded concept. All Belhaven Pub Partners franchise pubs will also benefit from Sky Sports and TNT Sports and a budget to provide entertainment for their customers. entertainment budget to host quizzes, live music, and karaoke.
Heineken beer volumes rise
• Heineken reported a 1.6% rise in beer volumes globally in 2024, and says there was increased demand for premium brands.
Heineken and Birra Moretti sold well, while there was good growth, too, for non-alcohol beer.
Operating profit rose by about 8% to €3.5bn, but revenue dipped 1.2% year-on-year to €36bn.
“Mainstream beer volume rose 2%, spearheaded by the leading brands in our largest markets, including Amstel in Brazil, Cruzcampo in the UK, and Kingfisher in India,” said Dolf van den Brink, chairman of Heineken’s executive board and chief execeutive.
“The beyond beer segment grew 4%, led by Desperados globally and Savanna cider in Southern Africa. Heineken 0.0 grew 10%, reinforcing our global leadership in non-alcoholic beer.”
Sky TV coming to more Proper Pubs
• Sky Business, Sky’s B2B arm, and Admiral Taverns have agreed a new multi-year, multi-product deal. It provide Sky TV to 200 more Admiral Taverns pubs, under its community wet-led operator division, Proper Pubs.
“Live sport is proven to bring in more customers, who stay for longer, spend more, and keep coming back,” said James Tweddle, director of hospitality at Sky Business.
“We’re excited to be supporting Admiral Taverns to create even more amazing customer experiences in their community pubs across the UK, all powered by our next-generation network.”
David Wigham, commercial director at Admiral Taverns, added: “Community pubs are an integral part of the UK’s social tapestry – they are hubs which bring people together and sports viewing plays a significant role in this.
“Giving our pubs the capability to show multiple sports which our customers love, helps to further cement them at the heart of their communities.”
• Punch Pubs has acquired The Bull, in Ilchester, Somerset, which will sit in the pubco’s leased and tenanted estate. Punch has said it is on the lookout for “quality acquisitions”.
