Greene King to expand Hive and Nest Pubs into Scotland

Greene King Pub Partners, the brewery and pub group's leased, tenanted, and franchise division, is expanding into Scotland. Greene King’s pub estate, which includes both the Hive Pubs and Nest Pubs franchise concepts, will be rolled out to Scotland under the umbrella of Belhaven Pub Partners. Greene King currently operates more than 70 franchise pubs in England and yet the plan is for Belhaven Pub Partners to open its first franchise pub in Scotland by April this year, with plans for more openings across the country in 2025 already lined up. The company pointed out that a franchisee in Scotland could take over their own franchise pub for as little as just £3,000 ingoing cost, which covers agreement fees, induction, and on-site training. Added to this, the business owners described how, with this model, earnings are based on a percentage of food and drink sales, with additional opportunities for profit-sharing and performance-based bonuses. Hive Pubs, Greene King’s first franchise concept, are described by the company as “welcoming local pubs with a buzz located in the hearts of the communities they serve”. The venues are known for providing a “range of drinks and food for every occasion alongside a regular programme of entertainment and live sport”. Nest Pubs, Greene King’s second franchise concept, are known for being “reliable wet-led pubs predominantly located on busy high streets and in communities, providing great value, an excellent experience and regular sport and entertainment along with a simple pizza food offer that is easy for operators to serve”. It was also noted that all new Belhaven Pub Partners franchise pubs will benefit from six-figure investments to ensure each pub is ready to deliver its franchise branded concept. Plus, each of the venues will also benefit from Sky Sports and TNT Sports and a budget to provide entertainment for their customers. entertainment budget to host quizzes, live music, and karaoke. Speaking about the expansion, Greene King Pub Partners managing director Dan Robinson admitted that this was “a major step forward” for the business but assured that the aim is “to support our franchisees every step of the way as they build thriving pubs at the heart of their local communities” and revealed that the teams are looking forward to “working with talented operators in Scotland to achieve this”. Belhaven Pub Partners business development manager Alasdair Lindsay agreed that this was an exciting time and admitted that he was now on the lookout for new publicans looking for their next career move. Lindsay explained: “We have a pipeline of pub openings and I am actively looking for any prospective franchisees who are keen to run their own pub business with a full suite of support from Belhaven Pub Partners.”