Heineken set to invest £40m into UK pubs, with over £1.7m allotted to Yorkshire and The Humber

One pub which has already benefited from this investment is The Bankhouse at Pudsey which had been closed for three years before reopening in February following a £370,000 refurbishment by licensee Richard Thewliss.

Mr Thewliss said: “We’ve had a fantastic response from the community.

"There’s still a huge demand for good traditional pubs.

“The scale of the refurbishment helped The Bankhouse take off after it reopened; people love the new look. All ages are using the pub, and the garden is a hit with the area’s many dog walkers, ramblers and cyclists.”

The Bankhouse’s refurb created 20 new jobs.

Another pub, The Farmer’s Boy in Shepley is due to open in early June following a four-year closure and £430,000 upgrade creating 15 new jobs.

The works will restore and redecorate the exterior of the Yorkshire stone building, adding new signage, lighting and an entrance canopy.

Heineken says that all significant projects will include measures to boost sustainability and reduce energy bills.

Energy efficiency works will range from adding insulation and motion-sensor lighting to installing technology that will turn off drinks fridges when no movement is detected behind the bar and switch off cellar cooling equipment when the surrounding temperature is low enough.

The company has identified a further six pubs in Yorkshire and the Humber for investment, and is in talks with operators at The Station, Ilkley and The Spinney, Doncaster regarding refurbishments.

The Light Dragoon in Etton, East Yorkshire, is earmarked for a £239,000 refurbishment, which will redecorate both the external and internal areas of the currently closed pub.

Londesborough Hotel in Seamer, Scarborough, will be given a £175,000 investment which will see the main trading areas redecorated, four new chalet bedrooms created and the existing nine upgraded.

Cleveland Huntsman, Hemlington will receive a £100,000 refurbishment of the internal and external trading areas.

Three Fiddles in Guisborough is also set to receive a £147,000 investment by Star, which will result in a full internal and external refurbishment, including an overhaul of the pub’s beer garden.

Heineken’s spend will focus on neighbourhood locals, which make up 70 per cent of the company’s 2,400 pubs.

Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs & Bars’ managing director, said: “We know from previous economic downturns that when customers’ disposable income is squeezed, they look for an exceptional experience when they go out.

“The last three years have been tough for everyone. People want some light relief and to get together and enjoy themselves. Pubs are ideally placed to meet this demand, offering an affordable treat. Our investment is a vote of confidence in the great British local.”

Minister for Investment Lord Johnson said: “Heineken’s investment is great news, not only creating hundreds of new jobs and improving pubs up and down the country but also making a contribution to our Net Zero targets.”