Greene King invests £42m into 130 sites in H1

Greene King has invested almost £42m into 130 of its pubs and smokehouse restaurants in the first half of the year.

According to the group, around £24m has been invested in 62 pubs in the Greene King managed estate, comprising Greene King pubs and Destination Brands, despite the “challenging” economic environment.

Stand out projects included a £1.1m investment to fully refurb the historic Railway pub by Liverpool Street station in London.

Over the period, Greene King also invested in its second Farmhouse Kitchen site in the UK, Silkwood Park in Wakefield, bringing an elevated dining experience for customers.

The group noted its rollout of Hickory’s also continues, with plans to open a total of 10 restaurants throughout 2025, building on the six new smokehouses which were opened throughout 2024.

Across Greene King Pub Partners, its leased, tenanted and franchise division, almost £9m has been invested across 63 pubs, 18 of which are newly opened franchise sites. 

The beginning of 2025 also saw Pub Partners launch its franchise businesses in Scotland, with the first Nest pub at the Tarbet, Edinburgh and first Hive pub, and largest spend to date at the Stables in Stenhousemuir.

Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, said: “We are determined to offer our customers the best pub experience and so it is important to maintain momentum in our investment plans despite the challenging wider economic environment.

“We have some brilliant pubs in great locations and we want to make the most out of our bricks and mortar so our pub teams can thrive in the best settings and give our customers great hospitality and fantastic experiences.”

He added: “Customers appreciate the efforts we go to in making their local the best it can be and we intend to keep investing in our estate and maximising the potential of our brands and assets. However, we can only continue to do this if the government supports the sector so it is given the potential to thrive.”