Hive Pubs, the pub franchise concept from Greene King Pub Partners, has received Sustainability Champion status from the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII).
Greene King Pub Partner’s first franchise concept, Hive Pubs was launched in 2021 and has grown to 51 pubs in under three years.
In order to achieve Sustainability Champion status, pubs and brands need to be able to evidence active commitments to projects within energy reduction, waste reduction and sustainable procurement.
As a franchise pub model, all Hive Pubs franchisees benefit from Greene King’s support and expertise to run more sustainable pub businesses. As such, each new Hive Pub when opened has LED Lighting, Timers and Fridge Manager installed as standard to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions.
Likewise, all Hive Pubs benefit from being part of Greene King’s wider electricity contract, which balances electricity usage with equivalent amounts generated renewably.
This means that when a franchisee gets the keys to their pub, they have a strong foundation for operating their pub in a sustainable way.
Franchisees can then build on this foundation with additional support from Greene King Pub Partners by working with their Business Development Manager and the wider Greene King team.
To help franchisees identify areas where they can take further action to make their Hive pub business more sustainable, Greene King Pub Partners also provides all Hive Pub franchisees with access to the Zero Carbon Forum’s carbon calculator, which enables them to measure and evaluate their emissions.
A Hive Pubs franchise agreement offers licensees a ready-to-trade pub within a proven branded concept for just £5,000 ingoing cost.
Franchisees can expect a minimum guaranteed income of £20,000 and they also get a percentage of food and drink sales. On top of this, they get a share of the profits in their pub and can earn a bonus as well.
Dan Robinson, Managing Director of Greene King Pub Partners, said:
“We’re very pleased to see Hive Pubs receive Sustainability Champion status from the BII. This achievement would not be possible without our exceptional franchisees who play such an important role in the communities they serve.
“Our franchise offer is proving very popular with those who want to step up from management to run their own pub business. By helping our franchisees run pubs more sustainably at the heart of their communities, we’re enabling them to run a better pub business.”
Steve Alton, Chief Executive of the British Institute of Innkeeping, said:
“When we launched our Sustainability Champion Awards in 2023, we wanted to showcase the brilliant ways in which pubs are adapting their businesses to ensure they are sustainable for the future.
“Customers and teams in pubs across the UK are placing more and more importance on businesses that care about local communities and the environmental impacts they have, so I am delighted that we can recognise all 51 Hive Pubs as Sustainability Champions for the fantastic measures they have put in place.”
