Heineken to spend £42m on Star Pubs & Bars estate

The investment will be spent across more than a quarter of its estate with 660 set to benefit from the expenditure. Of these, 137 of which will have a makeover costing more than £125,000.

The move brings Star Pubs & Bars’ total investment in pub improvements to £115m since the Covid 19 pandemic and to £300m since 2014.

With more people working from home for at least some of the week, the spend will focus on the group’s suburban pubs and those on high streets near residential neighbourhoods. The revamps will reflect two long-term trends that have been accelerated and amplified by the pandemic, according to the company: pubgoers’ increasing demand for ‘premiumisation’ and outdoor socialising.

“People have stayed closer to home over the last two years due to the pandemic and have turned to their local for the kind of experience they’d previously have travelled to a city centre, restaurant or bar to find. They don't want to turn back time: they expect better quality including food and specialty drinks – such as cocktails – that are harder to recreate at home,” says Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars managing director.

“It’s the same with gardens. Sitting outside at the pub has become a new occasion and, if the outside space is good enough, customers will wrap up to enjoy it even in the winter months. Outdoor facilities also remain important for those who are still cautious about going out as the UK learns to live with Covid.

“The cost-of-living squeeze is magnifying these trends. People are looking for a really great experience when they go out. These are challenging times. However, we are confident that well-invested pubs that adapt to market changes will have a bright, long-term future.”