Five Staffordshire pubs are benefitting from a share of £40 million being pumped into venues by Heineken UK.
The beer company has announced it will invest the sum in upgrading and reopening more than 600 pubs in its Star Pubs division in 2025, creating nearly 1,000 jobs across the country.
Around £3.38 million will be invested in the West Midlands, creating 71 jobs.
In Staffordshire, The White Hart in Penkridge has already undergone a joint £150,000 investment with Midlands-based Banx Pub Company.
The Dolphin Inn, in Glascote, Tamworth, also reopened earlier this month after a £140,000 joint investment by Star Pubs and locally-based licensees Paula Clayton and her husband Dave.
Other pubs set to be refurbished – subject to legals being completed – are Cannock’s The Nest, The Plough & Harrow, in Fazeley, Tamworth, and The Dog Inn, Whittington, near Lichfield.
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 firsthand 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.”
He added: “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.”
The White Hart, operated by Banx Pub Company, underwent exterior works to restore the distinctive Grade II listed black and white building with an alfresco area created in its courtyard.
The pub reopened with new interior décor, a new snug, new screens to show sports and with a newly-installed state-of-the-art dispense system.
Banx Pub Company General Manager Jamie Newbold said: “We have had a fantastic response since we reopened. New customers are now coming in and three weeks down the line have adopted The White Hart as their new local.”
The Dolphin has a similar upgrade with its outside transformed and an interior revamp to preserve its cosy character.
A spokesperson for Star Pubs said: “Customers love the transformation and the pub is trading above expectation.”
