Whitbread shuts all 89 Brewers Fayre sites; Beefeater next

What Whitbread announced and why

Whitbread announced in April 2026, alongside its full-year results, that it would convert its remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer for hotel guests. The decision affects all 89 Brewers Fayre sites and 106 Beefeater sites.

Chief executive Dominic Paul said the move would unlock highly profitable extension rooms and take share from struggling competitors. Sites not converted are expected to be sold as going concerns.

Whitbread said the strategy would add around 600 extra Premier Inn rooms across the estate. The company stressed that it is not insolvent and that the changes are part of a planned restructuring.

Which sites close today

All 89 Brewers Fayre sites close today, 7 September 2026. The restaurants are spread across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Beefeater sites will close on Thursday 10 September; this article will be updated then.

The full list of Brewers Fayre sites by nation is as follows.

England: Aire & Calder (Yorkshire), Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria), Bedford South (Bedfordshire), Bicester (Oxfordshire), Bideford (Devon), Bobbing Apple (Kent), Brampton Hut (Cambridgeshire), Brookers Oast (Kent), Burton House (Lincolnshire), The Carousel (Yorkshire), Castlewood (Derbyshire), Central Park (Warwickshire), Cepen Park (Wiltshire), Chafford Hundred (Essex), Chequers Corner (Essex), Cheswold Lodge (Yorkshire), The Clarence Pier (Hampshire), Cockermouth (Cumbria), Cottams Field (Lancashire), Dalesway (Yorkshire), The Drove (Sussex), Duke of York (Kent), Exeter (Devon), The Farrier (Lincolnshire), Flagstaff Island (Leicestershire), Freebridge Farm (Norfolk), Glastonbury (Somerset), Gordano Gate (Bristol), The Hampton (Peterborough), Hanley (Staffordshire), The Howgate (Cumbria), Inn On The Quay (Devon), Kembrey Inn (Wiltshire), King William IV (Nottinghamshire), Lakeland Gate (Cumbria), Lewins Mead (Bristol), Lock Keeper (Derbyshire), Lodmoor (Dorset), Loggans Moor (Cornwall), The Marina (Leicestershire), The Mayflower (Essex), Minehead (Somerset), Monkey Puzzle (Hampshire), Mulberry Tree (Essex), Oakenhurst Farm (Lancashire), Oaks (Norfolk), Ocean Plaza (Merseyside), Old Nelson (Gloucestershire), Old West Quay (County Durham), Orbital (Staffordshire), Papermill (Buckinghamshire), The Redwood (Staffordshire), Rhubarb Triangle (Yorkshire), Rising Sun (Hertfordshire), Royal Quays (Newcastle), Stable Gate (Lancashire), The Swallow (Suffolk), Telford Lodge (Northamptonshire), Tindale Crossing (County Durham), Turnpike (Yorkshire), Walsall (West Midlands), Water Mill (Yorkshire), The Wessex Flyer (Bristol), The Wessington (Sunderland), Wheatlea Park (Lancashire), Whittle Inn (Gloucestershire), Widnes (Cheshire), Willen Dragon (Buckinghamshire), The Windmill (Sussex), Winsor House (Beckton, London).

Scotland: Bankhead Gate (Fife), Craig House (Edinburgh), Inshes Gate (Highland), Kincardine Way (Falkirk), Mains of Balquharn (Aberdeenshire), Newhaven Quay (Edinburgh), Pirnhall Inn (Stirlingshire), Queens Crossing (Edinburgh).

Wales: Abergavenny (Abergavenny), Afon Conwy (Conwy), Barry Island (Vale of Glamorgan), Crossways (Caerphilly), Ocean Park (Cardiff), The Sandpiper (Carmarthenshire), Swansea Vale (Swansea), Tirfounder Fields (Rhondda Cynon Taff), Victoria Park (Gwent).

Northern Ireland: Derry City (Northern Ireland), The Harbour (Northern Ireland).

What affected staff are entitled to

Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, section 188, employers proposing to make 20 or more employees redundant at one establishment within a 90-day period must consult collectively. Where 100 or more redundancies are proposed, the consultation period must begin at least 45 days before the first dismissal takes effect. For 20 to 99 redundancies, the minimum period is 30 days.

Statutory redundancy pay is calculated using a formula based on age, length of service and a capped weekly pay. Employees must have at least two years' continuous service to qualify. The GOV.UK calculator provides a personal estimate; no cap figure is stated here.

Statutory notice is at least one week after one month's service, then one week for each year of continuous employment, up to a maximum of 12 weeks.

Whitbread has said it aims to redeploy affected staff. Employees who unreasonably refuse a suitable alternative role may lose their right to statutory redundancy pay.

Whitbread is the second large UK employer to announce a workforce reduction this week: see JLR voluntary redundancy: job cuts and worker rights for how voluntary and compulsory schemes differ.

Customers, bookings and gift cards

Whitbread is not insolvent. The sites are being converted or sold as going concerns, so this is not a scenario involving Section 75 protections or insolvency procedures.

Customers with advance bookings or gift cards should refer to Whitbread's published terms and conditions for details on refunds or alternative arrangements. This article does not invent a specific policy.

Premier Inn hotel bookings are unaffected. Sites sold as going concerns may reopen under new operators, and customers should check with the new operator for any changes.

Wider context: UK casual dining

The branded pub-restaurant sector has seen consolidation in recent years, with operators focusing on core brands and property value. Whitbread's decision follows a review of its restaurant estate, which it said was underperforming compared with its hotel business.

No figures beyond those in Whitbread's own results or official hospitality data are used here. No speculation about other chains is offered.

Further coverage of company announcements and consumer impact is filed under Latest news and Money guides.

Frequently asked questions

When does Brewers Fayre close?

All 89 Brewers Fayre restaurants close on 7 September 2026. The closures were announced by owner Whitbread in April 2026 as part of a strategy to convert the sites into hotel food and drink offers or sell them. The full list of affected sites is available in the article above.

When does Beefeater close?

All 106 Beefeater restaurants are scheduled to close on 10 September 2026. This follows the closure of Brewers Fayre sites on 7 September. Whitbread announced the wind-down in April 2026. The Beefeater closures are part of the same restructuring, with some sites being converted to Premier Inn rooms and others sold.

How many jobs will be lost at Whitbread?

Whitbread expects a net reduction of around 3,800 roles across its UK and Ireland workforce of about 30,000. The company says it recruits around 15,000 people a year and aims to redeploy affected staff where possible. The figure is an estimate and may change depending on the outcome of consultations and sales.

What happens to the Brewers Fayre and Beefeater sites?

Whitbread plans to convert some sites into Premier Inn rooms, adding around 600 rooms in total. The remaining sites are expected to be sold as going concerns, meaning they may continue operating under new owners. The company is not insolvent, and the changes are part of a planned strategy to focus on its hotel business.

What redundancy rights do Whitbread staff have?

Staff have statutory rights under UK law. If 100 or more redundancies are proposed at one establishment, a minimum 45-day consultation period applies. Statutory redundancy pay is based on age, length of service and capped weekly pay, with at least two years' service required. Notice periods range from one week to 12 weeks depending on service. Whitbread says it aims to redeploy staff, but refusing a suitable alternative role can affect redundancy pay.