Whitbread updates Beefeater brand

Whitbread is giving its 130 Beefeater pub-restaurants a brand refresh with £100,000 being invested in each site in the next two years.

The company will refurbish 30 sites this year, with 17 already completed. As sites are refurbished they will be branded Beefeater Grill.

Beefeater brand operational director Tim Bowley, said: "Each site has seen a huge sales uplift from investment, with an average 250% increase in sales in the past three months. The aim is to make the brand more contemporary."

The company has plans for more new-build Beefeater sites, which would be co-sited with a Premier Inn. The first, a model for future sites, is in Ashford, Kent.

The site has a more contemporary, female-friendly de-sign, with design nods to the brand's heritage. Grills are positioned front of house to create theatre, and black uniforms and more flexible seating have been introduced, with a move away from the traditional booth seating.

Bowley added that 33% of food sales are driven through Beefeater's Flaming Good Meal Deals, which include a rump steak for £5.95 during the day Monday to Saturday, with the choice of adding another course for £2 or a three-course meal for £9.95.

He said: "You can get a great quality steak for £5.95, which is a fantastic offer and has seen us in good stead throughout the recession."

Beefeater has invested in front-of-house staff retraining, with steak master and wine master courses. The steak courses saw staff educated about different cuts, provenance and cooking specifications.

The Beefeater brand celebrates 35 years in business this week. The company has launched National Steak Week as part of its celebrations, which runs to 18 October. Ten Beefeater sites are offering a steak platter, featuring four different cuts of steak and a limited edition Chateaubriand.