Beefeater, the 52-year-old steakhouse chain, will permanently close its remaining 106 UK branches on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Parent company Whitbread announced a total exit from the standalone restaurant market, affecting sister brands Bar + Block and Brewers Fayre as well.
Whitbread CEO blames government policy
Whitbread chief executive Dominic Paul attributed the closures to heavy cost pressures driven by government policy. He said recent increases in business rates and employer National Insurance contributions have made the conventional pub-restaurant model "unsustainable". Whitbread is shifting its focus exclusively toward its Premier Inn hotel operations.
Restructuring and job losses
The shutdown is part of a broader £250m restructuring scheme, which will see approximately 600 new Premier Inn rooms built inside converted restaurant locations. Many former Beefeater sites will be transformed into smaller internal kitchens serving hotel guests exclusively, no longer open to the general public. Locations that fail corporate profitability benchmarks will be sold off or leased back. The restructuring puts 3,800 jobs at risk across the UK and Ireland, and consultation procedures have been launched.
Among the hundreds of restaurants closing are four in the Liverpool City Region: Ocean Plaza Brewers Fayre in Southport, The Packet Steamer Beefeater in Bootle, Preston Brook Beefeater in Runcorn, and the Stag & Rainbow on Queens Drive.
Customer reactions
Lorraine Maddocks, 61, travelled from Derbyshire to visit the Stag and Rainbow with her mother and a friend. She said: "I came straight here so it’s easy. Our friend said how nice it was so we planned to come down. The staff were lovely, the food was brilliant and prices are good. But it wasn't very busy so you can understand [the closure] from an economic point of view." She added: "Anything empty is awful and especially when you think of the job losses."
A local mother of four from Tuebrook said the closure would be a loss for the community. She said: "People are disappointed. I just think it’s a shame we’re going to lose it as a community because there's not many places around here." She noted that other pubs in the area are "too adult" for family visits, adding: "It is handy if I’m out and about. It's family friendly so I can nip in with my boys and feed them. My sons do their clubs down the road, sometimes they’re starving after." She also remarked: "Some of the staff have been here for decades too. Over the years I’ve been here with friends and their kids come along. On a Sunday we can sit outside here and it's green. It's one of the nicest places around."
