Amber Taverns to open four new pubs amid expansion plans
A total of £4.5m will be invested in the four locations, including freehold acquisition
Amber Taverns, the operator of 170 freehold community, wet-led pubs, has announced that it has completed another four new sites, further expanding the company’s presence to four new locations, Derby, Bridgend, Airdrie and Motherwell in Scotland.
A value-focused pub group, which is uniquely focused on the hybrid operator-managed business model, Amber’s pubs are entirely wet-led. Focusing only on drink sales enables Amber to provide best-in-class value for money and a tailored wet-led offer with a pint for as little as £2.50 or less, together with sport and live entertainment.
All four sites will undergo extensive investment and refurbishment before reopening in the Spring of 2024. The Derby site was previously a Lloyds no. 1 bar, whilst the other three in Bridgend, Airdrie and Motherwell are all former retail premises. A total of £4.5m will be invested in the four locations, including freehold acquisition.
In addition, following a major refurbishment Amber opened its seventh pub in South Wales last week (4 December) in Caerphilly, further consolidating its footprint in that region. Amber has restored the pub’s name to The Railway, as it was historically called due to its proximity to the town’s train station.
Work has also commenced at the Company’s recently acquired site in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire. The new pub, which will be called The Old Vic, is located on the town’s former Foundry site. A significant investment is currently underway before Amber reopens the site as a modern community pub in February with an extensive televised sports offer as well as external beer garden.
In addition to ongoing organic investment in the existing estate, Amber continues to build a pipeline of new site opportunities in pursuit of its aim to add approximately 15 new pubs to its growing portfolio each year.
James Baer, chief executive of Amber Taverns, said: “We continue to see attractive opportunities in a variety of locations and the four new site acquisitions announced today gets our 2024 expansion ambitions off to an encouraging start, taking the company’s total number of pubs to 170. It is noteworthy that all four are situated in locations where Amber isn’t yet represented.
“We take pride investing in these pubs and their communities, carrying out high quality refurbishments which enable us to keep growing the business, underpinning the enduring appeal of a high quality, local community pub. This reinforces our confidence in our growth plans for 2024 and beyond.”