Admiral Taverns have invested more than £27 million into elevating its community pubs throughout 2023. The group, which owns approximately 1,500 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales, has invested the funds into over 300 pubs across both its leased and tenanted estate and its community wet-led division, Proper Pubs.
A robust investment programme is a core part of Admiral’s strategy to ensure that every pub can thrive and make a positive difference within their communities across the UK. Investments range from major transformational interior and external refurbishments through to important updates to licensee accommodation and long-term structural improvements.
Many of the Group’s pubs sit at the heartland of bustling but often underinvested regions of the UK and are vital social hubs, offering a range of activities and events for the local community. Regardless of whether they be major investments or smaller but critical spends, the fundamental purpose of the Group’s active Capex programme is to ensure these pubs can continually improve the environment and service they can offer locals.
Chris Jowsey, Chief Executive at Admiral Taverns, said: “At Admiral, we are committed to creating long-term, sustainable pubs that sit at the heart of their communities. Pubs are a cornerstone of British life and act as so much more than just a place to drink. They are social hives of activity that support all aspects of local life and most importantly, bring people together. It is vital that we continue to facilitate such an important part of community life by equipping licensees and operators with the correct tools and infrastructure to create thriving businesses.
The results from these refurbishments are incredible and I wish each of our licensees and operators every success for the future.”
The ongoing programme has seen Admiral invest heavily across multiple areas of the UK including Manchester, Oxfordshire and Wales.
Manchester received a total investment sum of £1,000,000 across seven pubs, whilst Oxfordshire received £500,000 across an additional seven pubs. Sites that benefitted from the investments include the Oddfellows Arms in Eccles which received a transformational £260,000 refurbishment in November, and the Golden Ball in Littlemore with a £119,000 renovation also in November. In addition, the Group invested over £1,500,000 in numerous communities across Wales to further improve the offering of its pubs.
Admiral Taverns always looks to recruit passionate, community-minded licensees and actively encourages them to support their communities through a regular schedule of events and charity fundraising initiatives. These include everything from Christmas selection box and Easter Egg donations to family fun days and charity fundraisers for essential resources such as defibrillators and sponsoring local clubs.
