Greene King has revealed its intention to launch 30 new franchise pubs this year. The pub group recently achieved a significant milestone of operating 100 franchise Hive and Nest concept pubs.
In 2025, Greene King Pub Partners introduced 30 new franchise pubs, including the first ones in Scotland under the Belhaven brand. The company is now set to extend its franchise operations into Wales and the Southwest of England for the first time in 2026 through a series of new openings.
Some confirmed locations for this year include Millwrights in Aylesbury, The Freemasons Arms in Wigan, and The Flag Inn in Egerton.
Among the Greene King franchise pubs that opened in 2025 are The Tarbet in Edinburgh, the first Greene King franchise pub in Scotland after a £285,000 refurbishment. Additionally, The Dolphin in Melbourn was reopened as a Hive pub following a £570,000 investment, and the Two Poplars in Wokingham, which underwent a £450,000 transformation, was also opened.
Penelope Bruce, Pub Partners Franchise Operations Director, expressed excitement about reaching the milestone of 100 franchise pubs and highlighted the continuous growth of their franchise offers. Greene King Pub Partners Managing Director, Dan Robinson, praised the ongoing expansion of their franchise business, which complements their successful leased and tenanted pub business.
In other news, Greene King offered free pints of Guinness last weekend as the Six Nations rugby tournament commenced. The offer was available at all Greene King sports pubs, including Flaming Grill, Hungry Horse, and Belhaven, as part of the Fans Reunited campaign fronted by Rugby World Cup winners Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson.
Zoe Bowley, Managing Director for Greene King pubs, emphasized the role of sports and the pub atmosphere in uniting people and launched the Fans Reunited campaign alongside the Guinness Six Nations to encourage old friends to reconnect over a pint and share the joy of the game together.
