Greene King

Greene King like-for-like sales up buoyed by record Christmas Day trading

19-Jan-2015 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Greene King has announced like-for-like sales up 0.6% across its managed pubs for the 36 weeks to 11 January, with sales up 2% for the festive period amid record breaking Christmas Day trading.

C&C Group confirms withdrawal from Spirit bidding

06-Jan-2015 By James Wallin

C&C Group, the Irish producer of Magners, has officially ruled out a bid for Spirit Pub Company, leaving the way clear for Greene King to proceed with its £773.6m acquisition of the Mike Tye-led business.

Greene King 'dragon's den' backs pub poetry and 80s concept

12-Dec-2014 By James Wallin

A Greene King tenant has secured backing from the pubco to roll out a concept bringing together poetry and pubs as part of a 'dragon's den' style contest.

Oakman grows to 12 sites with new Greene King lease

09-Dec-2014 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Oakman Inns & Restaurants has taken on its first Greene King lease to bring the company to 12 sites.

Marston's and Greene King silent on Mulholland MRO ultimatum

04-Dec-2014 By Mike Berry

Greene King and Marston’s are remaining tight-lipped over whether they will meet Save the Pub Group chair Greg Mulholland MP following his ultimatum to work with him or risk losing the right in the new pubs code to insist tenants sell their brands in...

Spirit lessees 'in the dark' as Greene King moves to buy pubco

13-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Spirit Pub Company lessees claim they are in the dark over whether Greene King’s proposed takeover will have an impact on their rent and product agreements.

Greene King chief says Spirit bid is 'transformational deal'

10-Nov-2014 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Greene King chief executive, Rooney Anand, has described the company’s bid for Spirit Pub Company as a “transformational deal” that will “create the UK’s leading pub company”.

Greene King and Spirit agree £773.6m deal

04-Nov-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Greene King and Spirit have announced that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended offer, which will see the former acquire the latter in a £773.6m deal and create a 3,127-strong pub company.

Spirit agrees to recommend revised Greene King bid to shareholders

20-Oct-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Spirit Pub Company has announced that it is willing to recommend a revised takeover offer from Greene King of approximately 109.5p, which values the company at c£700m.

Greene King launches new beers under Metropolitan Brewing Company brand

17-Oct-2014 By Mike Berry

Greene King has launched a range of beers under a new Metropolitan Brewing Company brand.

Wetherspoon’s finance chief defects to Greene King

01-Oct-2014 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

Kirk Davis, the current finance director at JD Wetherspoon, is to join rival Greene King from the start of next year as its new chief financial officer.

Spirit Pub Company rejected 'undervalued' Greene King bid

23-Sep-2014 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Spirit Pub Company said it rejected a 100p-per-share offer from Greene King because it “undervalued” the firm.

Greene King expands its Local Hero scheme

29-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

A Greene King initiative encouraging pubs to champion all things local has now reached 30 pubs.

Greene King staff raise £1.2m for cancer charity

27-Aug-2014 By James Wallin

Greene King has exceeded its £1 million fundraising target for Macmillan Cancer Support by £200,000.

Greene King pub arrives at London Euston railway station

09-Jul-2014 By John Harrington

Greene King is to invest a seven-figure sum launching its first station pub at London’s Euston station.

Tim Martin: Face the brutal facts abouts pubs and tax

04-Jun-2014 By Tim Martin

To say that the recent 129-page report on the pub industry by Geof Collyer and his colleagues at Deutsche Bank is optimistic is wild understatement. Their exuberant conclusion is that: "...... all of the stocks researched are in better shape than...

Greene King staff take on gruelling challenge for cancer charity

23-May-2014 By James Wallin

Greene King employees raised more than £43,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support after taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge.

Greene King appoints Lifetime Training to run apprenticeship scheme

08-May-2014

Greene King has revamped its apprenticeship scheme and announced its new training partner.

Tenants at 275 Greene King pubs to get 'more flexibility', says new owner Hawthorn Leisure

06-May-2014 By James Wallin

Tenants at the 275 Greene King pubs bought by the country’s newest pubco have been told they can expect “more flexibility” from their new landlord.

New kid on the pubco block

06-May-2014 By Rob Willock

It’s not every day that the PMA gets to report on the creation of a new tenanted pubco. The last, by my reckoning, was Spirit Leased in 2011, following the company’s demerger from Punch.

Greene King announces pint glass amnesty ahead of predicted summer shortage

01-Apr-2014

Greene King has urged pub-goers to return any pint glasses they may have at home amid fears stocks may completely run out this summer.

Greene King offers licensees cut-price Sky Sports deal

24-Jan-2014 By Lewis Brown

Pub operator and brewer Greene King has offered its licensees a cut-price deal to reduce the costs of their Sky Sports TV package.

Great British Pub Award 2012 Pub of the Year forced to surrender lease

02-Jan-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Great British Pub Award 2012 Pub of the Year winner has been forced to surrender his lease after his pub company claimed he was a below-average operator.

Greene King claims licensee members' club success

10-Oct-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Greene King has hailed its first annual members’ club event for its top-performing licensees as a roaring success.

Greene King 'targets sites in Ireland'

24-Sep-2013 By John Harrington

Greene King and another major British pub group are looking to follow JD Wetherspoon by entering the Irish pub market, according to the Irish Times.

The Big Interview: Rooney Anand, Greene King

18-Sep-2013 By Roger Protz

Rooney Anand, chief executive at Greene King, talks brewing, brands and banking collapses with Roger Protz.

Greene King ups tenant referral incentive

01-Jul-2013 By Mark Wingett

Greene King has doubled the reward it is offering for a successful new tenant referral.

Greene King admits second thoughts over Flame Grill pub sign branding

14-Jun-2013 By Noli Dinkovski

Greene King has admitted is reviewing its decision to change traditional pub signs with modern ones across its 85-strong Flame Grill branded estate.

MA300: Real Pub founders Nick Pring and Malcolm Heap plan return to the pub sector

13-Jun-2013 By Rob Willock

Nick Pring and Malcolm Heap, founders of London-based Realpubs which was sold to Greene King in 2011, are targeting a return to the pub industry in early 2014, Pring revealed at the MA300 event.

Greene King claims it has worked hard to keep beer prices down

09-May-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Greene King claims it has worked hard to keep its prices competitive after being accused in The Sun of increasing the price of beer sold at its pubs by as much as 11p per pint weeks after the 1p-per-pint reduction in beer duty.

JD Wetherspoon granted licence in Stirling

09-May-2013

JD Wetherspoon has been granted a licence for its planned pub in Stirling against which Greene King sought a judicial review.

Greene King set to launch appeal to HMRC over tax scheme

30-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

Greene King is reportedly set to launch a second appeal against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over a tax scheme that has been labelled as “artificial”, The Guardian reports.

Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin accuses Greene King of being "frightened of competition"

10-Apr-2013 By John Harrington

JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin has accused Greene King of being “frightened of competition” and wanting to “preserve a local monopoly” by seeking a judicial review against a planned Wetherspoon pub in Stirling.

Cloverleaf duo to stay in industry after Greene King exit

06-Feb-2013 By M&C Report

John Winder and Gary Douglas, former owners of pub-restaurant business Cloverleaf, which was sold to Greene King two years ago, are planning to stay in the industry after standing down from the board of Greene King recently.

Isn't it time the pub industry got real?

04-Feb-2013 By Robert Sayles

It was sad to see that fellow blogger Mark Daniels has decided to call time at his Greene King pub.

Very sadly, it’s time gentlemen, please...

01-Feb-2013 By Mark Daniels

It is with a heavy heart and a sorry soul that my wife and I have decided not to renew our contract and to leave our pub.

Greene King launches kitchen training programme for tenants

08-Nov-2012 By Lesley Foottit

Greene King has introduced a kitchen management training course for its tenants.

Greene King calls for Westminster Government to follow Scotland and introduce minimum pricing

21-Aug-2012 By John Harrington

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has called for the Westminster Government to follow Scotland and push for minimum pricing of alcohol at 45-50p per unit to avoid the emergence of “booze cruises” between the different UK countries.

Great British Beer Festival: Greene King’s rare 5X ale to make debut appearance

06-Aug-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

A rare 12% ABV oak-aged ale from brewer Greene King is to be rolled out for the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF).

Greene King launches new tenancy agreements aimed at attracting fresh talent

26-Jul-2012 By John Harrington

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, is to launch two new tenancy agreements aimed at encouraging “highly talented” entrants to enter the trade, and giving cash incentives for good retail performance.

Greene King teams with Charnwood to offer licensees Level 5 management training

17-Jul-2012

Greene King is piloting a Level 5 Diploma in Management for nine of its licensees in conjunction with Charnwood Training Group.

Greene King reports another year of record profits and growth

28-Jun-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has reported another year of record profits and growth, with turnover up 9.4% to £1.14bn and pre-tax profit rising 8.6% to £152m.

Indigo Leisure takes on the Hop Poles in Brighton after previous licensees offer to "bury the hatchet" with Greene King

08-Jun-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Greene King will re-open the doors of the Hop Holes pub in Brighton under new management on 20 June, despite two former licensees expressing an interest in taking back the leasehold of the premises.

Greene King launches Love Great Beer campaign ahead of summer of celebration

30-Apr-2012 By Noli Dinkovski

Greene King is to help publicans make the most of the forthcoming summer of celebrations with a series of giveaway prizes.

We dump on the big brewers at our peril

11-Apr-2012 By Roger Protz

Something unprecedented happened at the Great British Beer Festival in 2004. When the winner of the standard bitter category in the Champion Beer of Britain competition was announced, people started to boo.

Famous lessee hands back keys on two Greene King pubs

21-Mar-2012 By Phil Mellows

A lessee has spoken of his heartbreak at having to hand back the keys on two Brighton pubs with a combined annual turnover of £1.25 million.

Redcomb Pubs secures fifth site

29-Feb-2012 By John Harrington. M&C Report

Redcomb Pubs, the pub operator led by former Mitchells & Butlers executive Dan Shotton, has secured its fifth site, a Greene King leasehold in Cambridge.

NatWest deal for Greene King licensees

02-Feb-2012

NatWest is offering preferential borrowing rates to Greene King’s (GK’s) Meet & Eat pub franchisees under a deal to make the bank its official funding partner for the franchise brand.

Greene King revenues pass £0.5bn

01-Dec-2011 By John Harrington

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, has reported H1 revenues of more than half a billion pounds for the first time, with the managed division and food sales in particular being credited for the growth.

Welham joins Spirit

29-Nov-2011

Chris Welham, operations director at Greene King, will join Spirit Pub Company as managing director of its c.550-strong leased division next February