The investment will reach more than a third of the Heineken owned pubco’s 2,350 strong estate, with around two thirds of the budget focused on pub exteriors and a third allocated to garden enhancements.
The spend follows Star’s £44.5m investment programme for 2026, with £5.66m of the outdoor upgrade expenditure forming part of the wider estate investment.
Join our new WhatsApp channel: The Morning Round-Up
Get the biggest pub trade stories straight to your phone. Listen to our one-minute daily news briefing and receive breaking news, exclusives and sector updates throughout the day. Remember to turn notifications on in the top right corner!
Investment breakdown
Some £1.61m will be spent on major garden makeovers across 84 pubs, at an average cost of £19,200 per site.
Of these, 66 pubs will receive larger upgrades designed to increase alfresco trading space and extend the outdoor season, including covered heated pagodas, new terraces and improved seating areas.
A further 18 pubs will receive branded garden schemes themed around Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo, Foster’s or Inch’s, with branded huts, entrance arches, barrel tables, fire pits and blankets.
Star Pubs said licensees had reported branded gardens increasing customer spend and dwell time.
An additional £680,000 will go towards smaller garden improvements, with 70% of the spend allocated to furniture upgrades. The remaining budget will fund less extensive branded schemes across 30 gardens.
Nearly two thirds of the total budget will be used to redecorate the exteriors of 122 pubs, with works including new paintwork, signage, lighting, entrances and improved access.
Designed to boost sales
Rob Clark, head of property at Star Pubs, said the investment was designed to help publicans drive sales amid rising costs.
He said: “People’s appetite for being outside has not abated since the end of the pandemic whilst their expectations have got higher.
“A fantastic garden or outside area gives a pub the edge over its competition, creating another occasion for pubgoers and an opportunity for publicans to boost business.
“A well thought out space not only adds covers but can cater to a whole different customer base and host extra events and activities, from functions and live music to sports screenings, without compromising inside trade.”
The investment follows Star’s £4.5m spend on pub gardens and kerb appeal in 2025, which supported exterior upgrades across 171 pubs.
It also comes as the pubco continues to expand its Just Add Talent managed operator estate, with plans to convert 35 pubs to the model this year.
