Leading Northern brewer, Daniel Thwaites, has ploughed a whopping £3.5 million in its pub estate in 2014.
The impressive sum forms part of a comprehensive three year programme of pub investment amounting to a spend of over £10 million by 2015. A mark of Thwaites’ commitment to the development of its estate, 16 pubs received investment between November and December 2014 alone.
Andrew Buchanan, director of pub operations at Thwaites, said: “We’re incredibly passionate about supporting our tenants and maintaining the estate to the very highest standards. The money we have invested over the last two years and have aside for 2015 will be used to renovate and refresh our pubs, so they can continue to serve their local communities and deliver profitable returns for our landlords.”
Some notable projects include the renovation of the Manor House, in Otley, which received £140,000 to fund extensive improvements to both the interior and exterior of the building, restoring much of its historic and characterful charm. In Southport, local institution, The Victoria, also received a similarly sizable £150,000 refurbishment package to reinvigorate the tired fixtures and fittings, while Waddington pub, the Higher Buck Inn, announced the completion of major renovation works in May, rounding off a total £400,000 investment.
As well as financial support, Thwaites has also helped its tenants capitalise on growth in the pubs market by offering a comprehensive package of assistance in areas such as marketing, staff training, and customer liaison. Bespoke on-site instruction is available through Thwaites’ Tulip programme, providing all new tenants with a broad overview of such diverse areas as marketing practices, events organisation, product knowledge, health and safety, assessing the legal landscape and food safety regulations.
Andrew said: “One of the things we’ve really championed in 2014, is online media. It’s really important that our pubs have a presence online and that our tenants are fully up to speed with all things digital. A number of Thwaites pubs are leading the way, in the terms of the quality of pub buildings, outstanding food offerings and the sophisticated online marketing campaigns. With continued encouragement and financial backing from Thwaites, there is no reason why these success cannot be replicated across the estate.”
Last year, Thwaites invested heavily in the launch of its pub finder website, to help create an online presence for its pubs and make them easier to locate online. Taking things a step further this year, the brewer made its in-house support services available to all its tenants to help them in the construction of their own websites and social media platforms.
Chief executive, Rick Bailey, said: “Thwaites’ commitment to its landlords is second to none. We’ve injected a huge £3.5 million into renovation works this year with another £3 million on the books for projects in 2015. The spend is in line with other positive changes happening within the business, including a scheduled move to a new brewery site and the expansion of our craft ranges. While all areas of the business have showed positive growth in 2014, none more so than in pub operations. With further investment planned for 2015 and a spate of pub openings already scheduled, the outlook is very positive as we move into the New Year.”
Thwaites owns an estate of over 300 pubs across the North of England. In 2013 it committed more than £4 million to mainlining its pub estate, with a further £6 million earmarked for 2014/15.
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For more information, please contact:
Aimi McNeill: 01625 506 429, mob 07500 123909, amcneill@goodrelationsregional.co.uk
Eleanor O’Connell: 0113 2372826
eoconnell@goodrelationsregional.co.uk
Claire Grew: 0113 2372825, mob 07786 091987, cgrew@goodrelationsregional.co.uk
About Daniel Thwaites
Daniel Thwaites is the North of England’s major independent family brewer. Founded in 1807, Thwaites has a rich heritage providing welcoming hospitality and award-winning beers that are brewed with skill and care from the highest quality ingredients.
Thwaites owns an estate of over 300 pubs, a small but growing group of characterful coaching inns and six four-star full service regional hotels and spas, which trade under the Shire Hotels banner.
In addition, Thwaites supplies a full range of drinks to many independently owned pubs, clubs and restaurants in the North of England and beyond and a wide range of bottled beers to most major supermarkets.
www.thwaites.co.uk
www.facebook.com/thwaitesbeers
www.twitter.com/Daniel_Thwaites
Terry Gilligan
Associate Director