PROPERTY ROUND-UP
PROPERTY: The Shaston Arms reopens in Soho under new independent management
This property round-up includes mentions from Star Pubs, Urban Pubs & Bars, Shepherd Neame and more.
Star Pubs & Bars
City operators ‘invested in growing hospitality business’ after expanding portfolio
Two entrepreneurs have taken on a second lease with Star Pubs, adding to their business portfolio.
After-work socialising adds £28.9bn to UK economy
After-work socialising will contribute nearly £29bn to the UK economy this year, according to new research from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) commissioned by Heineken.
PROPERTY ROUND-UP
St Austell reopens Dartmouth pub after ‘transformational’ refurbishment
This property round-up includes mentions from St Austell, Thwaites, Damm, Heartwood and more.
Multi-site momentum: Star Pubs licensees expand portfolios across the UK
Independent operators across the UK are expanding through Star Pubs & Bars’ leased model, with multiple licensees taking on second, third and even tenth pubs in 2025.
Publicans criticise Government’s claim that later opening hours will ‘save pubs’
Publicans and operators across the UK have expressed frustration at Government suggestions that extending pub opening hours could help “save” the sector and boost economic growth.
Star Pubs injects £850k into coastal town pub
Heineken-owned Star Pubs and Scottish hospitality operators, the Discovery Group, have reopened a pub in East Lothian following an £850,000 renovation.
MY PUB
MY PUB: The Engineer, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Multiple operators Pete Mann and Mike Fisher took on the Engineer in Harpenden in 2002 and have since gone on to build up a portfolio of four premium locals across Hertfordshire.
Star Pubs backs darts initiative with £120k investment
Star Pubs is investing £120,000 to help its pubs capitalise on the darts craze sparked by sensation Luke Littler.
PCA seeks evidence over suspected Star code breach
The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has called on current and former Star Pubs tied tenants to come forward over suspected breaches of the pubs code.
Former Peach Pubs directors to expand pub porfolio
Former Peach Pubs directors have taken on the Plough in Wollaston - their second leasehold with Star Pubs.
Worcestershire licensee takes on second Star Pub
Licensee Chris Madin has taken on his second Star Pubs lease – the Boot in Flyford Flavell, near Worcester.
Star Pubs invests £180k in loyalty card roll-out
Star Pubs is investing £180,000 in rolling out a loyalty card to help the operators of its 190 Just Add Talent (JAT) community and premium pubs to reward their regulars.
North-west multiple operators take on third Star Pubs lease
North-west multiple operators, Julie Panaro and George Catterall, have taken on a Star Pubs lease for the Feilden’s Arms in Mellor Brook, Blackburn.
Star Pubs invests in pub gardens and kerb appeal
Star Pubs is investing £4.5m in enhancing the exteriors of 171 pubs this year.
Nepalese food pub chain plans expansion
East Anglia multiple operator, Lapen Inns, has taken on its third lease with Star Pubs – bringing its total estate up to eight.
Star Pubs revamps wine offer with guest programme
Star Pubs is expanding its wine range with a bi-monthly guest programme, which aims to help pubs’ boost sales and engage consumers.
Heineken to invest £40m into Star Pubs
Heineken UK will plough £40m into its Star Pubs estate this year in a move that will see thousands of revamps and the creation of 1,000 jobs.
BIG INTERVIEW
BIG INTERVIEW: Overcoming ‘imposter syndrome’ in a male-dominated world
Star Pubs’ Caren Geering has overcome what she calls ‘imposter syndrome’ at the start of her career and is now flourishing.
Star Pubs provides free coaching to help with mental health crisis
Star Pubs is launching new free coaching and guidance for mental health to support its Just Add Talent managed operators.
MY PUB
MY PUB: The Oxford, Rochdale
The Oxford pub in Rochdale sits on the edge of the beautiful Pennines and offers great food, wine and cask ales.
Great British Pub Award winners to open third site
Steve Orme and James Thomson, who run the Red Lion in Shepperton and Golden Grove in Chertsey, have added a third Star lease to their portfolio, the Rose & Lion in Twickenham.
Star Pubs boss: Gov must stick to biz rates reform vow
The Government must follow through on its pledge to revamp business rates, according to Star Pubs central operations director Caren Geering.
Star expanding managed operator arm
Star Pubs has announced plans to grow its Just Add Talent (JAT) managed division by 30 pubs this year.
Village pub licensees celebrate 20 years
Licensees of a Nottinghamshire pub have celebrated their 20th anniversary with a dedication award.
PUBS CODE ADJUDICATOR
Star reimburses tenant for arbitration costs after PCA intervention
Star Pubs has reimbursed a tenant £5,832 for costs the operator was ordered to pay in arbitration after intervention by the pubs code adjudicator (PCA).
Publican celebrates triple achievement
Star Pubs licensee and managing director of The Healy Group Pubs – Donal Healy – is celebrating 40 years in the pub trade, 20 years as a Star publican and his 75th birthday.
Roseacre grows pub portfolio to 10 sites
Midlands-based Roseacre Pub Company has taken its seventh pub with Star Pubs, increasing its estate to 10 sites – and it has plans to expand further.
Licensees recognised for two decades at pub
Licensees of Newcastle-under-Lyme-based pub, the Waggon & Horses have been awarded Star Pubs prestigious ‘dedication award’ to mark their 20th anniversary as operators of the site.
MY PUB
MY PUB: The Ship Tavern, Holborn, London
Dating back to 1549, the Ship Tavern in Holborn in London is among the oldest pubs in London.
Star opens 200th JAT venue after £350k investment
Pub company Star Pubs has opened its 200th Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator site following a £350,000 investment.
Star Pubs honours one of its longest serving licensees
Heineken UK’s pub arm, Star, has awarded one of its longest serving licensees after two decades behind the bar.
MY PUB
MY PUB: The Venture Inn, Reigate, Surrey
In the affluent town of Reigate – just south of the M25 – you will find the Venture Inn, which cites low & no beers as one of its key drivers.
MY PUB
MY PUB: The Rose & Crown, Wolston, Warwickshire
With a spacious garden and TV sports galore, the Rose & Crown has something for everyone.
Star introduces online darts tournament for pubs
Heineken UK’s pub arm, Star Pubs, has announced the launch of a UK-wide darts tournament for its leased and tenanted sites with darts teams.
Blind Tiger Inns opens 20th pub
Blind Tiger Inns has announced the opening of its 20th site, the Grey Man in Greater Manchester.
Operators takes on second Star site
South Yorkshire operators Simon Woodcock and Richard Hepplestone are taking the lease on their sixth pub as they look to build a 10-strong estate in the region.
Star vows to invest £4.6m in gardens and outside spaces
Star Pubs is investing £4.6m in revamping the gardens and outside areas of its pubs this year with 156 pubs set to benefit.
MY PUB
My Pub: The Ashford Arms, Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire
The Ashford Arms is pubco Longbow Venues’ third site.
MY PUB
My Pub: The Fox, Birmingham
Andy King has been at the helm of the Fox on Lower Essex Street in Birmingham since 1997 and is the longest serving publican in the city’s gay village.
BIG INTERVIEW
The Big Interview: Lawson’s rule is to ‘be yourself’
Be yourself and make sure you switch off when you are not at work – that’s the advice Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens has for anyone wanting to further their career.
Pubs can’t work with business rates ‘ambiguity’
Star Pubs & Bars managing director Lawson Mountstevens wants to see action on business rates because pubs can’t work with such “ambiguity” in the trade.
Heineken UK unveils £39m plan to upgrade pub estate
Heineken UK has revealed plans to inject £39m into upgrading and reopening sites in its Star Pubs & Bars tenanted and leased estate to attract remote workers.
Town’s longest serving licensee celebrates 20-year anniversary
The longest serving licensee in Penrith, Cumbria has marked 20 years at the town pub and been presented with an award.
Star unveils 'biggest ever' events support package
Star Pubs & Bars has announced its “biggest-ever” package of events support for its licensees, set to launch later this month.
Star invests more than £50m into pub estate
Star Pubs & Bars has injected more than £51m into its pub estate since September last year.
Star licensee marks 40th anniversary
Operators at a village pub in Lincolnshire have been recognised for their service to the community on their 40th anniversary at the helm.
Star injects more than £1.5m into Welsh pubs
Star Pubs & Bars has revealed a new look for its flagship site in Cardiff, Wales, following a £1.4m renovation project, its biggest single investment this year, and plans to plough a further £730k into Welsh venues.
BIG INTERVIEW
Why the JAT model is a Star for Heineken’s pubco
In the week Star Pubs & Bars announced it was set to boost the number of it Just Add Talent model pubs by 67%, operations director Mick Howard explained more about the move and what he would like to see from the current Government to help the sector.
Star to increase JAT pubs by 67% in 3 years
Star Pubs & Bars is set to accelerate openings of its Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator pubs business to 250 sites within three years.