A pub restaurant in Widnes has reopened under new ownership after its former parent company closed all of its Brewers Fayre sites earlier this month. The venue, previously a Brewers Fayre, has been acquired by Queensway Inns and renamed The Foundry, keeping the same concept and staff.
Closure and acquisition
Whitbread, the owner of Premier Inn, announced on September 7 that it would close all 106 of its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, cutting nearly 4,000 jobs across the UK and Ireland. The Beefeater restaurants closed on September 10.
Around 12% of the workforce from the closed locations will lose their jobs. The company plans to sell £1.5bn of freehold properties, reducing the proportion of owned properties in its portfolio from 50% to 30%.
New operators and staff retention
Queensway Inns has acquired 53 sites across the UK, including the former Widnes Brewers Fayre site, as well as several Bar + Block and Cookhouse + Pub venues. Up to 900 employees from the hotel group have been transferred to the company.
Louise Colebrooke, team leader at the Widnes site, now known as The Foundry, said the restaurant is back for good. Although "a few" redundancies were made, long-time staff have been retained.
Community focus
Colebrooke told the ECHO: "We had a lot of regulars and it's been quite a big name in the community. We don't want anyone to forget about us as we're not going anywhere."
She added: "We know everyone by first names. We get the same faces in every week and it's nice to know you can go into work and have friends waiting for you."
The Foundry will offer the same atmosphere and service as before, but with a refreshed menu. Colebrooke noted the venue is popular with families and community groups, saying: "It just feels like a nice place to be."
