Bedfordshire-based Beefeater and Brewers Fayre owner Whitbread has confirmed plans to close all restaurants across the UK and Ireland under those brands, putting around 3,800 jobs at risk.
The move raises questions about the future of two well-known Bedford sites, The Beefeater at Priory Marina and Brewers Fayre in Kempston, both of which sit alongside Premier Inn hotels owned by the same company.
Bedford sites affected
Whitbread has not yet confirmed what will happen to individual locations, including those in Bedford Borough.
However, the company has made clear that it intends to close its remaining 197 Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants as part of a wider strategy shift.
Both Bedford venues are closely linked to adjoining Premier Inn hotels, a model the company is now looking to change.
Hotels likely focus
Whitbread, which also owns Premier Inn, said it plans to convert restaurant space into additional hotel rooms, as it moves towards becoming a “pure hotel business”.
The company said this would allow it to add “highly profitable extension rooms” and better meet demand from hotel guests.
In Bedford, the proximity of the Priory Marina and Kempston sites to existing Premier Inn hotels means similar changes could be considered locally, although no specific plans have been announced.
With the proposed Universal theme park development expected to bring more visitors and workers to the area, expansion of hotel capacity could become a priority.
Jobs and closures
The changes form part of a wider restructuring that will affect about 12% of Whitbread’s UK and Ireland workforce.
The company said it would try to redeploy as many staff as possible, with consultations now underway.
The Guardian reports that the Unite union has criticised the way the announcement was handled, saying staff learned about the job cuts through the media.
Why the change
Whitbread said the decision follows rising costs, including higher wages, food prices and tax changes, as well as pressure from investors to improve performance.
The company has already begun converting some underperforming restaurant sites into hotel rooms and now plans to extend this approach across its entire estate.
If carried through, the decision would bring an end to the Beefeater brand, established in 1974, and the Brewers Fayre chain across the UK.
There is currently no confirmed timeline for the closure of individual sites, and no formal announcement has been made about the future of the Bedford restaurants.
