Yorkshire pubs set for £2.64m investment as part of £40m investment package from Heineken

Just over 100 of these pubs have also been earmarked for what the firm described as “transformational revamps”, costing over £120,000 each.

In Yorkshire, Heineken said its £2.64m investment – along with an additional expected £434,000 investment from licensees – would result in an estimated 76 new jobs.

Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs, said: “Consistent investment – rather than a stop, start approach – and a strategy of creating great locals have been key to helping our pubs weather the storms of the last few years.

“Heineken sees firsthand the value in great British pubs and their ongoing popularity. It recognises that Brits love their locals and that well-invested pubs trade better. This £40 million inward investment from a Dutch business into UK pubs is a resounding vote of confidence in the future of the sector.”

The firm said that nine pubs in Yorkshire are set to benefit from improvements as part of the investment, including three which are currently closed.

The South Lodge, in Ripon, which has been shut since January, will now open at the end of May.

Subject to legals being completed, work will also start in August on Gibsons, in York, which has been closed for four years.

September will also see work begin at The Cask & Spindle, in Shepley, which has been out of action for five years.

Two formerly shut pubs which have already undergone investment from Star Pubs are The Westgate, in Halifax, and The Black Bull, in Ecclesfield.

The Westgate reopened in march following a £350,000 investment in a move that Star Pubs said created six new jobs.

The pub had previously been closed for over six years.

The Black Bull had been closed for 18 months before it reopened in August following a £198,000 investment from Star Pubs South Yorkshire.

Mr Mountstevens added: “The investment in The Black Bull in Ecclesfield and The Westgate in Halifax have had a terrific response from local residents.

“Even with pressures on disposable income, people in Yorkshire are still prioritising a trip to their local, valuing it as an everyday treat and as a way of connecting with their community.

“But they want to be guaranteed a quality experience: relaxing in an attractive setting is an important factor when pubgoers choose where to spend their money.”

Figures compiled by the Campaign for Real Ale in October of last year for The Yorkshire Post showed that almost 500 pubs had closed in the region over the past five years, at a rate of one pub every three days. The rate of closure has also doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic.