The Charnwood Arms and the Two Steeples in Leicestershire have operated as “innovation pubs” for the past eight months, allowing the pub company to trial next generation equipment in live trading conditions before considering a wider rollout.
New tech
Kitchen, cellar, cleaning and communication systems are all under review. Trials include energy efficient grills and fryers, an intelligent airflow extraction system, oil saving technology, cordless backpack vacuums, team communication headsets, “press for attention” buttons to reduce customer dwell times, and intelligent dispense systems designed to improve yield and beer quality.
Digital tools
Greene King is also testing digital tools to reduce administrative tasks, AI food waste capture technology, smart vending, AI enabled gantries and enhanced camera monitoring that allows remote CCTV oversight.
Early results show energy reductions, improved kitchen workflows and longer oil life without compromising food quality.
The intelligent dispense system has also delivered measurable improvements to cellar efficiency.
Greene King’s COO Clair Preston-Beer said the programme is aimed at balancing guest experience with operational resilience.
“We are pleased to be capturing the power of artificial intelligence and innovation in our pubs,” she said. “We are putting this equipment through its paces in busy, live pub environments to really measure the positive impact and scalable potential in the wider business.”
Cost savings
“Today’s customers rightly expect an outstanding pub experience and we want our teams to have the best tools to work with. At the same time, we must be operationally efficient given the current costs of doing business.”
She added that early cost savings include reduced energy usage, lower travel requirements due to digital information systems, and extended life of cooking oil.
The trials form part of Greene King’s multi million pound investment in innovation, building on developments such as its customer loyalty app and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
The trials also reflect a wider shift across the industry toward AI assisted operations, following similar moves by major pub groups including Mitchells & Butlers, which last year detailed how artificial intelligence is speeding up menu development, marketing workflows and guest interactions.
Decisions on wider deployment will follow the completion of the pilot programme during 2026.
