Spirit Group, the managed division of Punch Taverns, has identified 50 Chef & Brewer sites to convert into a new trading template — Chef & Brewer Next.
The concept, which is a working title only, is described as an enhanced version of "Horizon" — the evolved version of C&B that Spirit was trialling last year. Fifteen sites have now been converted into the Horizon template, with lessons learnt applied to an extended Chef & Brewer Next roll-out.
These pubs will be given a contemporary facelift with separate drinking area and restaurant, different floor textures and more glass to give a lighter, brighter feel.
Spirit director of catering Kevin Harper said: "We have made sites more appealing. It is more family friendly and is attracting younger and slightly more affluent guests. It's the way we are going to go. We have taken what we have learnt from Horizon — Next is the enhanced offer.
"We have identified 50 sites suitable for this concept, to be refurbished in a continual rolling programme."
On 3 March, Spirit launch-ed a new menu into its C&B pubs, combining contemporary, traditional and healthy dishes, such as a meze platter (from £4.20), super-food salad (from £5.40), seared teriyaki surf & turf (£10.30), Moroccan spiced lamb burger (£8.25) and toffee pear pudding (£4.35). The same menu is available across the whole C&B portfolio, including Next.
C&B has been a lacklustre performer in the Spirit portfolio, with like-for-like sales down by 8% at one stage last year.