Heineken spends £385k revamping Gloucestershire pub
Heineken has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds refurbishing one of its pubs in Gloucestershire. The world's second-largest brewer has upgraded The Victoria Inn, in Hucclecote, as part of plans to invest £39m in revamping and reopening hundreds of venues across its Star Pubs estate in the UK.
A total of £385,000 was spent on the venue, which now has a function room with working skittle alley; a sports room with a new pool table, darts and a state-of-the-art AV system showing TNT and Sky Sports; and a large beer garden. It has also restarted selling food, creating 10 jobs in the process.
The pub has also launched its own darts and pool leagues, bingo nights, weekly karaoke and disco, and hosts regular live music.
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New licensee Kirsty Jones said: “The Victoria really needed an upgrade. The investment has brought The Victoria Inn into the 21st century. It has breathed life back into the pub and is attracting new faces by giving people multiple reasons to visit."
In the South West alone, Heineken is spending £1.6m revamping pubs in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and the Bristol region, with a further £163,000 being invested by licensees. The company said its proposals would create around 40 jobs in the West Country.
The refurbishments are designed to broaden each pub’s use and appeal, according to the brewer, which said changes will include overhauling cellars with new equipment and repositioning tills to speed up service. Heineken, which is aiming to become net zero across its entire value chain by 2024, also said the projects would feature measures to cut energy usage.
Nationally, a quarter (612) of Heineken UK's 2,400 pubs are in line for improvement, with 94 of these set for makeovers costing on average £200,000.
Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director, said: “People are looking for maximum value from visits to their local. They want great surroundings and food and drink as well as activities that give them an extra reason to go out, such as sports screenings and entertainment. Creating fantastic locals that can accommodate a range of occasions meets this need and helps pubs fulfil their role as vital third spaces where communities can come together."
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