- Whitbread has now confirmed that all remaining Beefeater restaurants, including Oyster Reach, will cease trading after service on September 10.
- The Oyster Reach Beefeater will close its doors for the final time on September 10 as parent company Whitbread presses ahead with plans to exit the branded restaurant market.
- Whitbread PLC has announced that its location at Freebridge Farm will be closing its doors on September 7 as part of a larger shutdown of 200 sites.
Whitbread's decision to close all remaining Beefeater restaurants is a significant shift in strategy, driven by significant cost increases and a focus on its hotel brand, Premier Inn. The closures will affect approximately 3,800 employees across the UK and Ireland.12
The final service for the Oyster Reach Beefeater will occur on September 10, while Freebridge Farm will close on September 7. This move is part of a broader plan to exit the branded restaurant market, impacting around 200 sites in total.3
Whitbread, which typically recruits around 15,000 people annually, aims to retain a significant portion of affected staff by redeploying them within the company. However, the proposed changes, subject to consultation, are expected to result in a reduction of around 3,800 roles from a total workforce of 30,000 in the UK and Ireland.
The company’s shift underscores the challenges faced in the restaurant sector, as it prioritizes its hotel operations amidst rising costs and changing consumer preferences.
“Whitbread's decision to close Beefeater restaurants is part of a larger strategy to exit the branded restaurant market, impacting 200 sites overall. The Oyster Reach location will cease trading after service on September 10, while Freebridge Farm will close its doors on September 7.”
Ipswich Star
