West Midlands pubs to see refurbishment and creation of new jobs after Heineken investment
Pubs across the region are set to see upgraded facilities and new jobs created after an announcement around a funding boost.
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Heineken UK has announced it will invest £40 million in upgrading and reopening pubs in its Star Pubs division in 2025, creating nearly 1,000 new jobs across the country.
Around 25 per cent of Heineken UK’s 2,400 pubs will benefit from enhancements during the year, with 104 of these earmarked for transformational revamps costing more than £120,000.
£3.38 million is earmarked for pubs in the West Midlands, with licensees expected to invest £96,000 on top, with Heineken UK saying that demonstrated confidence in the future of the pub market and would result in an estimated 71 new jobs.
Twenty other pubs in the region are earmarked for investment.
These include The Bell & Bear in Rowley Regis, which opened in January, and three pubs which reopened in April in the recently refurbished Queen’s Head in Wednesbury, which had a £210,000 joint investment, The White Hart in Penkridge with a £125,000 revamp and The Dolphin in Tamworth with a £140,000 upgrade.
A spokesman for Heineken UK said: "Although trading conditions have been tough over recent years, Heineken UK has invested consistently throughout, pumping £194 million into improving its pubs between the start of 2020 and the end of 2024.
"97 per cent of Heineken UK’s pubs are in rural and suburban locations and its 2025 investment programme will reflect this, concentrating on community locals.
"Major refurbishments will make over pubs with stylish, comfortable and welcoming decors designed to entice pubgoers and cater for a wide range of customers and occasions.
"A comprehensive package of energy efficiency measures will be included to increase each pub’s sustainability.
"Every project will be sympathetic to the building and its history, retaining and preserving original features."
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director said: “Consistent investment, rather than a stop, start approach, and a strategy of creating great locals have been key to helping our pubs weather the storms of the last few years.
“Heineken sees first hand the value in great British pubs and their ongoing popularity.
"It recognises that Brits love their locals and that well-invested pubs trade better.
"This £40 million inward investment from a Dutch business into UK pubs is a resounding vote of confidence in the future of the sector.
“Even with pressures on disposable income, people in the West Midlands are still prioritising a trip to their local, valuing it as an everyday treat and as a way of connecting with their community.
"But they want to be guaranteed a quality experience: relaxing in an attractive setting is an important factor when pubgoers choose where to spend their money.
“The vast majority of our pubs are leased by independent operators who run them as their own.
"In partnership with our licensees, our investment programme keeps alive the great British tradition of individual locals, each with its own unique feel and serving the particular needs of its community."
