Marston's planning 60 new family pubs
Pub chain Marston's today revealed plans to open 60 more pubs over the next two years.
While pubs across the UK are still closing at a rapid rate, the West Midlands-based chain is rolling out its openings programme as it looks to develop purpose-built pubs on new estates.
Recent openings have included the Grazing Cow at Telford's new Lawley village development, which has space for 180 diners, car parking and a children's play area as it looks to cater for a new breed of pub-goer.
New pub restaurants are being built by Marston's as it caters for the continuing demand from families who want to eat out without breaking the bank under its so-called F-Plan – focusing on "food, families, females and 40 and 50 somethings".
Marston's currently has about 2,100 pubs nationwide but is selling off those it no longer wants, raising more than £35 million so far this year, and replacing them with its newer premises.
The most recent to open its doors was the Saxon Penny pub in Lichfield, but now more are in the pipeline as the chain looks to establish itself in new markets.
While the Campaign for Real Ale has warned that 26 pubs a week are closing in the UK, Marston's has been bucking the trend as it attempts to build its national estate to about 2,400 sites.
Marston's has been building about 22 to 25 pubs a year since launching its F-Plan.
Each pub costs about £2.5 millio. But it has now accelerated the plan, aiming to open up to 30 pubs a year and it has identified enough sites to keep it busy for the next four years.
As well as its Banks's brewery in Wolverhampton and Marston's site at Burton upon Trent, it owns the Jennings, Wychwood, Ringwood and Brakspear breweries.
Other Marston's pubs around Shropshire include the Taverners in Telford and The Bell in Shifnal, The Crown and The Bandon Arms in Bridgnorth, and another Crown in Albrighton.
Tenanted pubs around Telford include Dawley's Three Crowns, The Blue Pig and Dun Cow in Trench, Randlay Farmhouse, and Bacchus in Wellington.
It also has the Crown and the Peacock Inn in Shrewsbury, Oswestry's Highwayman, and the Smithfield Bell in Welshpool.
