Admiral invests £10m-plus into estate

25-Jul-2023 - Last updated on 25-Jul-2023 at 11:54 GMT

Big money: Admiral Taverns has put a lot of spend behind its estate in the first half of 2023

Admiral Taverns has invested more than £10m into upgrading its community pubs throughout the first half of 2023.

The group, which owns almost 1,500 pubs in England, Scotland and Wales, has invested the funds into 138 pubs across both its leased and tenanted estate and its wet-led operator division, Proper Pubs.

Investments range from transformational interior and external refurbishments through to upgrading licensee accommodation and making essential structural repairs. As a result of the ongoing capital expenditure (capex) scheme, Admiral said it has been able to enhance essential social hubs, further supporting all aspects of community life.

L&T pub openings

Highlights of the ongoing programme include the recent openings of leased and tenanted pubs, the Toad Hall Inn in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, following a £200,000 investment, and the Plume of Feathers in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, after a £180,000 refurbishment.

Plume of Feathers, Hitchin — Plume of Feathers

For Proper Pubs, 2023 has seen a record number of openings. These include the Strawberry Gardens in Manchester, which received an investment of almost £248,000, as well as the Gamull in Preston, Lancashire, which opened following a transformational £360,000 capex investment.

Admiral Taverns chief executive Chris Jowsey said: “At Admiral, we strongly believe in creating long-term, sustainable pubs that sit at the heart of their communities and support all aspects of local life.”

Strawberry Gardens, Manchester — Strawberry Gardens

Cornerstone of British life

Jowsey continued: “Pubs are the cornerstone of British life and have been bringing people together for centuries so it’s essential we continue to facilitate such an important part of community life.

“The results from these refurbishments are incredible and I wish each of our licensees and operators every success for the future.”

Admiral Taverns said it always looks to recruit passionate, community-minded individuals across its pubs and actively encourages them to support their communities through a regular schedule of events and charity fundraising initiatives, which has included Christmas selection box collections, Easter Egg donations, family fun days and charity fundraisers for essential resources such as defibrillators and sponsorship of local clubs.