Loch Fyne 'no longer a core part' of Greene King

Pub company and brewer Greene King has confirmed it has ceased trading through its Loch Fyne Restaurant brand as the seafood chain is "no longer a core part" of its portfolio.

It comes after Propel first reported five Loch Fyne sites have been converted into pubs, including Langbourns in Whitechapel, the Anchorage in Poole and the Foundry Bell in Wokingham.

Greene King added its Edinburgh, York and Portsmouth Loch Fyne branches were the last to close in October and November.

The pub company said it is "working hard to identify alternative roles for those team members in pubs nearby".

Wayne Shurvinton, managing director for Greene King Partnerships and Ventures, said: "Optimising our existing assets is a key strand of our strategy. Loch Fyne is no longer a core part of the Greene King portfolio and therefore we have been evaluating our remaining 11 sites over the past year.

"We looked at each of our Loch Fyne restaurants individually to identify where we could transform them into pubs and we have been successful at five sites, providing extra jobs and investment in these local areas. However, there were some sites where this was not possible. We worked closely with our affected team members to find alternative roles with our business."

Greene King had secured approval for its Loch Fyne restaurant business to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in May 2021 after 11 Loch Fyne sites that were "severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic" were permanently closed in 2020 and returned to landlords.

The restaurant group started out as part of the Loch Fyne Oysters company in Scotland and was sold to Greene King for £68m in 2007 when it had 36 sites.