Greene King Builds on Local Poppy Appeal Support with Rollout to 1,500 Pubs

Greene King is building on the longstanding support many of its pubs provide to the Poppy Appeal by making poppies available across all 1,500 pubs in its managed estate for the first time.

From 23 October, poppies will be available in every managed Greene King and Belhaven pub, giving customers the opportunity to donate to the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland, whose fundraising supports serving members and veterans of the Armed Forces and their families.

Many of Greene King’s pubs already welcome veterans and volunteers to fundraise for the charities in their local communities. This year, Greene King is building on that existing activity, by making poppies available across its entire estate of managed pubs in England, Wales and Scotland ahead of Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.

Graham Briggs, Social Lead at Greene King said: "“Our pubs are at the heart of communities across the country and support the Poppy Appeal through their longstanding links with local veterans, volunteers and Armed Forces communities. Making poppies available across all our managed pubs builds on this proud tradition and means more customers have the opportunity to show their support for the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland."

The Ship Anson in Portsmouth, is one of Greene King’s pubs which has strong links with its local Armed Forces community. Terry Rigg, General Manager, said: “The Ship Anson sits at the heart of Portsmouth’s naval community, and we’re fortunate to welcome serving personnel, veterans and their families through our doors. Our customers and team have always embraced the Poppy Appeal, so it’s fantastic to see poppies now being made available across all of Greene King’s pubs.”

Ben France Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Royal British Legion said:

“The RBL is there to support armed forces families during and after service, providing guidance during deployment, helping with financial hardship, support after a bereavement, or caring for a loved one in old age. By supporting the Poppy Appeal across Greene King’s pubs, customers and team members can help us raise vital funds for the Royal British Legion to support the Armed Forces community for life.”

Notes to editors

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer trading c2,500 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales, and Scotland.

At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives.’ That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 38,000 people across the group and operate three business areas including Managed Pubs, Pub Partners and Brewing & Brands.

• Managed Pubs: Our Managed Pubs bring together our best-known pub and restaurant brands nationwide, including Greene King pubs, Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse and Flaming Grill. We offer great service, quality and value for a wide range of eating and drinking occasions. Ventures includes Hickory’s, Premium (Crafted Pubs & Metropolitan Pub Company) and Hotels, which operate independently of Greene King’s managed pub brands.

• Pub Partners: Pub Partners runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive and Nest franchise pubs. These options combine entrepreneurial independence with practical support, enabling partners to run successful local businesses within a market‑leading estate. We have c.1,000 leased, tenanted and franchise pubs.

• Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Hazy Day, brewed for the modern-day drinker.

For further information please contact Greene King Press Office via pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk.

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