Greene King has revealed its intention to launch 30 new franchise pubs in the current year. The pub company recently achieved a significant milestone of 100 franchise Hive and Nest concept pubs.
In the year 2025, Greene King Pub Partners introduced 30 new franchise pubs, including the first-ever establishments in Scotland under the Belhaven brand. They are now set to extend their franchise operations into Wales and the Southwest of England in 2026 with a series of new openings.
Several locations have already been confirmed for this year, such as Millwrights in Aylesbury, The Freemasons Arms in Wigan, and The Flag Inn in Egerton.
Among the franchise pubs launched by Greene King in 2025 are The Tarbet in Edinburgh, the initial Greene King franchise pub in Scotland following a £285,000 renovation. The pub group also renovated The Dolphin in Melbourn into a Hive pub after investing £570,000, and the Two Poplars in Wokingham opened after a £450,000 transformation.
Penelope Bruce, Pub Partners Franchise Operations Director, expressed excitement about reaching the milestone of 100 franchise pubs and seeing the continuous growth of their franchise offer. Plans are in place to expand into Wales in 2026 by launching an additional 30 franchise pubs.
Greene King Pub Partners Managing Director, Dan Robinson, expressed delight at the ongoing expansion of their franchise business, which complements their successful leased and tenanted pub business.
In conjunction with the start of the Six Nations rugby tournament, Greene King offered free pints of Guinness last weekend. To claim a free pint, patrons had to reserve a table for any Six Nations game on February 7 through the Greene King website.
This promotion was available at all Greene King sports pubs, including Flaming Grill, Hungry Horse, and Belhaven, as part of the new Fans Reunited campaign featuring Rugby World Cup champions Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson.
Zoe Bowley, Managing Director for Greene King pubs, highlighted the importance of sports and pub environments in uniting people. The Fans Reunited initiative, coinciding with the Guinness Six Nations, aimed to bring fans together over a free pint and create moments for reconnecting with old friends.