The company, which has more than 2,400 venues, said this year’s investment - £40m from Heineken UK - will see around a quarter of its pubs benefit from refurbishments, following £194m spent since 2020.
The majority of its estate is run by independent licensees, with co-investment allowing operators to grow portfolios without the burden of freehold ownership.
Star managing director Lawson Mountstevens said consistent investment had strengthened confidence in the leased model. “The vast majority of our pubs are leased by independent operators who run them as their own. Consistent investment and strong partnerships have been key to keeping these pubs at the heart of their communities,” he said.
Regional expansion
In April, Great British Pub Awards winners Steve Orme and James Thomson announced plans to open their third Star site – the Rose & Lion in Twickenham – following a £570k co-investment. The duo, who also run the Red Lion in Shepperton and the Golden Grove in Chertsey, said their growth strategy focuses on high-quality, social venues across west London.
May saw Remedy Bars, led by Charles Bakker, has taken its first Star lease at the Elmhurst near Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The £550k investment will reopen the long-closed pub this August, adding a 100-cover garden and a games-led interior designed for matchday and neighbourhood trade.
In June, Lancashire multiple operator John Lloyd took on his third Star lease with the Wheatsheaf in Leyland. Lloyd, who also runs the Black Bull in Penwortham and the Plough in Euxton, invested £100k alongside Star to upgrade the venue inside and out. The refurbishment includes a revamped sports and pool room and extended beer garden. Lloyd said he planned to add another Star site to his portfolio by the end of the year and a fifth in 2025.
Also in June, East Anglia-based operator Lapen Inns, run by Subodh Gautam and partners Ravi Acharya and Purnaman Bajcharya, took on its third Star lease with the Queen Elizabeth in King’s Lynn. The group now has eight sites across the region and specialises in Nepalese dining.
North-west multiple operators Julie Panaro and George Catterall took on their third Star lease in July with the Feilden’s Arms in Mellor Brook, near Blackburn, following a £465k investment. The pair already run the Butler’s Arms in Pleasington and the Hospital Inn in Bamber Bridge.
Also in July, Worcestershire-based licensees Chris Madin and Chelsea Hill took on their second Star lease with the Boot in Flyford Flavell, investing £210k with Star to double the bar area and broaden the site’s appeal from dining to a family and dog-friendly village local.
Driven by leasing
Jamie Foster, who operates the Old Garrison in Shoeburyness and the Spread Eagle in Southend, added the Railway Hotel in Southend-on-Sea in August– his second substantive Star lease and third Star site overall. The £650k refurbishment will restore the three-year-closed landmark as a live music and food venue.
In September, Scottish multiple operator Discovery Group reopened The Law in East Lothian after an £850k joint refurbishment. The pub had been closed since 2019 and now operates under licensee Donna McCallum, with a focus on premium food, drink and community events.
Meanwhile, Simon Woodcock and Richard Hepplestone reached 10 pubs with the Upton Arms near Pontefract in October, following a £200k joint refurbishment. The wet-led operators said their expansion was “driven by leasing” rather than freeholds, citing Star’s financial backing as key to their confidence in further growth.
Elsewhere, former Peach Pubs directors Bex Wilkins and Sarah Robinson are also expanding with Star, taking a second lease at The Plough in Wollaston after success with the Wildmoor Oak in Bromsgrove. The partners are targeting up to five pubs over the next five years and are investing £250k with Star to reposition the Plough as a food-led local.
These deals come alongside Heineken’s plan to expand Star’s Just Add Talent managed operator arm by 30 pubs this year, supported by recruitment, training and investment to build a pipeline of future licensees.
Other examples of sustained growth stretch back to early 2024, when south-east operator Brian Coughlan took on the Whyte Harte Hotel in Bletchingley, Surrey, with a £500k investment. Coughlan, who already ran a diverse portfolio, said at the time he aimed to reach 25 pubs by 2025 - reflecting the longer-term momentum now evident across Star’s leased estate.
