Batemans confirms food-led pub focus amid further 2016 investment

The Batemans brewery company has confirmed plans to move into more food-led, accommodation-focused pubs after the completion of its 2015 investment and continuing 2016 programme.

The 60-pub, Lincolnshire-based business has also confirmed its purchase of the Fairways Inn in Sheffield, which will be its first refurbishment target for 2016. It is also keen to acquire a host of new sites as the year goes on.

The news comes soon after the 2015 acquisitions of the Game Bird in Beverley, Yorkshire, and the Ladybower Inn in the Peak District, alongside its purchase of the Oliver Bar & Grill in Doncaster, which was announced in September last year. The Ladybower particularly is set to be run under a Pub Operators Agreement (POA), which is a cross between a managed and tenanted set-up, in which the operator takes a percentage of turnover.

The group also invested £50,000 into the Britannia pub in Boston, Lincolnshire; and spent £150,000 on the Woolpack in Wainfleet. It has also invested in staff training, including the introduction of its Running a Pub Successfully course available to new landlords, alongside its extension of BIIAB and CIEH qualifications to all landlords.

He added: "We are searching for talent: be they tenants, POA operators; managers; assistant managers and trainees. We want to have the best people working in our sites."

The group re-branded in 2014 for its 140th year, and added a slew of new beers to its product range at the same time.

Batemans Brewery rebrands and adds new beers for 140th year >>Batemans acquires Doncaster site in managed pub push >>