Brewing giant Heineken investing £3.2m in revamping NW pubs, creating 122 jobs

Heineken, the Netherlands-based brewer and pubs group, is investing £40m in upgrading and reopening pubs in its Star Pubs division this year, creating almost 1,000 jobs across the country.

The investment plan has earmarked £3.2m for its pubs in the North West, with licensees expected to invest £385,000 on top, demonstrating confidence in the future of the pub market and creating an estimated 122 jobs.

Sixteen pubs in the region have been identified for improvements, including three that are currently closed.

Building work will start at the end of this month at The Feilden Arms in Mellor Brook, Blackburn, to develop a local and drive-to destination pub.

Subject to completion of legal documents, investment is also on the cards to re-open three closed pubs this year: The Empire in Liverpool, closed since January, The Miners Arms in Macclesfield, shut for two-and-a-half years; and The Trevor Arms, Wrexham, boarded up since July 2024.

One closed pub that has benefited from recent investment and is flourishing since reopening is The Hesketh Tavern in Southport.

The Aigburth, in Liverpool, is also seeing the benefits of a revamp that completed at the start of the year.

Although trading conditions have been tough over recent years, Heineken UK says it has invested consistently throughout, pumping £194m into improving its pubs between the start of 2020 and the end of 2024. 

A comprehensive package of energy-efficiency measures will be included to increase each pub’s sustainability. Every project will be sympathetic to the building and its history, retaining and preserving original features. 

Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ managing director, 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 first hand 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 £40m inward investment from a Dutch business into UK pubs is a resounding vote of confidence in the future of the sector.”

He added: “Pubs where we invest, such as The Hesketh Tavern in Southport and The Aigburth Arms in Liverpool, are seeing a terrific response from local residents.

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

The Hesketh Tavern, in Southport, was closed for two years, then re-opened in October 2024 as a family-friendly community local following a £350,000 revamp of the interior and exterior by Star Pubs, creating 20 jobs.

Since re-opening, trade at The Hesketh Tavern has exceeded expectations by 20%.

Meanwhile, A £160,000 investment by Star Pubs and multiple operator, Blind Tiger Inns, in the Aigburth Arms, Liverpool, has seen trade increase by 30% since it reopened in January.

Improvements to the pub, which Blind Tiger Inns has run for five years, included making the interior more female friendly, with new furniture and neon murals giving the pub a more contemporary look and feel.

Blind Tiger managing director, Chris Tulloch, said: “We invest in a five-year cycle at all our venues and get a return on the new interest it generates from customers.

“This latest upgrade has given The Aigburth Arms a new lease of life. People are staying longer and a busy pub breeds business. We like partnering with Star Pubs, with whom we have 20 sites, as they have a similar ethos and are willing to back us.”