Heineken has revealed plans to invest almost £40m in its pubs across the UK in a move which it says will create over 1,000 jobs.
The UK arm of the Dutch brewery giant, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, is to spend £39m during 2024 to upgrade and reopen sites in its Star Pubs estate.
A total of 612 pubs are in line for improvement, out of Heineken UK’s 2,400 in the country, with 94 set for makeovers costing on average £200,000.
The investment drive, which Heineken has said will create an estimated 1,075 jobs, will also cover works to reopen 62 long-term closed locals during the year.
The group added that by the end of 2024 it will have reopened 156 such pubs since the start of 2023, reducing the number of closed pubs in its estate to pre-pandemic levels.
Heineken and Star Pubs call for government support
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, 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.”