Beefeater and Brewers Fayre have closed every one of their UK sites this week, delivering a major blow to the high street. Beefeater shut its 106 locations on September 10, while Brewers Fayre closed 89 restaurants on September 7.
Approximately 30,000 staff are employed across the two restaurant chains. Earlier this year, parent company Whitbread — which also runs Premier Inn — confirmed both brands would close as part of a wider strategy.
Whitbread's plans for the sites
Whitbread chief executive Dominic Paul said: "We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms."
He added: "Our continued efforts to drive our commercial plan and efficiencies will extend our market-leading position and allow us to take share from our competitors, many of which are struggling to grow."
A number of the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites will be transformed into approximately 600 additional Premier Inn hotel rooms, while the remaining locations are "expected to be sold as going concerns".
Millets and Søstrene Grene closures
Outdoor company Millets is closing three more UK stores — in Chippenham, Tenby and Bracknell — as it launches "everything must go" sales. The chain, which sells outdoor clothing, footwear and camping equipment, has 47 stores across the UK but once had around 120.
The Chippenham branch launched a closing down sale on September 8, with a sale already underway at the Tenby store. Bracknell's site closes on September 12. Millets' branches in Portsmouth, Ipswich, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Hitchin are among those to have already closed.
Homeware company Søstrene Grene is closing its first ever UK store, in Nottingham's Victoria Centre, which opened in 2016. The company has 330 stores across 17 countries. A closing-down sale has been taking place in the store, which will close on September 13.
A sign in the window reads: "We are sorry. Unfortunately, this store will be closing as the landlord is planning a redevelopment of the premises. Please note that as we prepare for the closure, some items may no longer be available in the store and many items will be reduced in price. The sisters would like to thank all customers for their support over the years."
Full list of closures
Beefeater closures: The Anchor (Lincolnshire), The Applecart (Oxford), Badgers Sett (Worcestershire), Bagle Brook (Port Talbot), Balmoral Inn (Hampshire), The Barn (Buckinghamshire), The Beacon (Kent), The Belgrave (Devon), Bentley Green (West Midlands), Border Gate (Cumbria), The Brache (Bedfordshire), The Brecks (South Yorkshire), Broomside Park (County Durham), The Bull (Kent), Carnon Inn (Cornwall), Centre (Dundee), The Coldra (Newport), Countess Wear (Devon), The Cricketers (Surrey), Crossbush (Sussex), Crows Nest (Hertfordshire), Deer Park (West Lothian), The Dukes Worksop (Nottingham), Eureka Park (Kent), Euston Way (Shropshire), The Farmhouse (Cheshire), Farnborough (Hampshire), The Fountain (Twickenham, London), The Foxburrow (Suffolk), Frome Flyer (Bristol), George In The Tree (West Midlands), The Gifford (Bristol), Gourdie Croft (Dundee), The Granary (Cambridgeshire), Great Oak (Hampshire), Great Yarmouth Seafront (Norfolk), Griff House (Warwickshire), Halfway House (Bedfordshire), Halifax (West Yorkshire), Hamilton (Glasgow), Harbour Lights (Hampshire), Harlow Mill (Essex), The Haywain (Essex), Heaton Park (Lancashire), The Kingswood (East Yorkshire), Lady Nairne (Edinburgh), The Ladybridge (Staffordshire), The Lakeside (South Yorkshire), Liberty Bell (Essex), London Woolwich (Woolwich, London), The Longbow (Rhondda Cynon Taff), Longbridge (West Midlands), Longford House (Staffordshire), The Longwall (Oxford), The Lydiard (Wiltshire), Malta Inn (Kent), Manor Farm (Kent), Marsh Mills (Devon), Medina Quay (Isle of Wight), Mill House (Surrey), Mill Lodge (Lincolnshire), Millers Barn (Nottingham), The Millfield (York), Moor Mill (Hertfordshire), Morris Dancers (Lancashire), Morton Park (County Durham), Moseley Park (West Midlands), Oakley Hay (Northamptonshire), Oast & Squire (Hampshire), The Orchard (Worcestershire), Oxford Kidlington (Oxford), Oyster Reach (Suffolk), Packet Steamer (Merseyside), The Parkway (Surrey), The Pavilion (Somerset), The Plough (Kent), Preston Brook (Merseyside), Priory Marina (Bedfordshire), Quay House (Lancashire), Rackstraws Farm (Berkshire), Red Lion (Lancashire), Redditch (West Midlands), Roman Way (Nottingham), Sir Thomas Wyatt (Kent), Smugglers Haunt (Dorset), The Somerford (Dorset), The Southcote (Berkshire), Springwood Park (Cheshire), Spruce Goose (Hampshire), Stag & Rainbow (Merseyside), Strawberry Field (Essex), The Talpore (County Durham), The Three Fish (Shropshire), Travellers Rest (Harrow, Middlesex), The Turnpike (Northamptonshire), Twelve Bells (Gloucestershire), Walston Castle (Cardiff), Ware (Hertfordshire), The Waterfront (Swansea), The Watermill (Essex), White Hart (Sussex), White Lodge (Somerset), White Rock (Devon), Whitegate Inn (Lancashire), Whitley Bay (Northumberland), The Woolpack (Kent).
Brewers Fayre closures: Abergavenny (Abergavenny), Afon Conwy (Conwy), Aire & Calder (Yorkshire), Bankhead Gate (Fife), Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria), Barry Island (Vale of Glamorgan), Bedford South (Bedfordshire), Bicester (Oxfordshire), Bideford (Devon), Bobbing Apple (Kent), Brampton Hut (Cambridgeshire), Brookers Oast (Kent), Burton House (Lincolnshire), The Carousel (Yorkshire), Castlewood (Derbyshire), Central Park (Warwickshire), Cepen Park (Wiltshire), Chafford Hundred (Essex), Chequers Corner (Essex), Cheswold Lodge (Yorkshire), The Clarence Pier (Hampshire), Cockermouth (Cumbria), Cottams Field (Lancashire), Craig House (Edinburgh), Crossways (Caerphilly), Dalesway (Yorkshire), Derry City (Northern Ireland), The Drove (Sussex), Duke of York (Kent), Exeter (Devon), The Farrier (Lincolnshire), Flagstaff Island (Leicestershire), Freebridge Farm (Norfolk), Glastonbury (Somerset), Gordano Gate (Bristol), The Hampton (Peterborough), Hanley (Staffordshire), The Harbour (Northern Ireland), The Howgate (Cumbria), Inn On The Quay (Devon), Inshes Gate (Highland), Kembrey Inn (Wiltshire), Kincardine Way (Falkirk), King William IV (Nottinghamshire), Lakeland Gate (Cumbria), Lewins Mead (Bristol), Lock Keeper (Derbyshire), Lodmoor (Dorset), Loggans Moor (Cornwall), Mains of Balquharn (Aberdeenshire), The Marina (Leicestershire), The Mayflower (Essex), Minehead (Somerset), Monkey Puzzle (Hampshire), Mulberry Tree (Essex), Newhaven Quay (Edinburgh), Oakenhurst Farm (Lancashire), Oaks (Norfolk), Ocean Park (Cardiff), Ocean Plaza (Merseyside), Old Nelson (Gloucestershire), Old West Quay (County Durham), Orbital (Staffordshire), Papermill (Buckinghamshire), Pirnhall Inn (Stirlingshire), Queens Crossing (Edinburgh), The Redwood (Staffordshire), Rhubarb Triangle (Yorkshire), Rising Sun (Hertfordshire), Royal Quays (Newcastle), The Sandpiper (Carmarthenshire), Stable Gate (Lancashire), The Swallow (Suffolk), Swansea Vale (Swansea), Telford Lodge (Northamptonshire), Tindale Crossing (County Durham), Tirfounder Fields (Rhondda Cynon Taff), Turnpike (Yorkshire), Victoria Park (Gwent), Walsall (West Midlands), Water Mill (Yorkshire), The Wessex Flyer (Bristol), The Wessington (Sunderland), Wheatlea Park (Lancashire), Whittle Inn (Gloucestershire), Widnes (Cheshire), Willen Dragon (Buckinghamshire), The Windmill (Sussex), Winsor House (Beckton, London).
