Greene King has unveiled its strategy to launch 30 new franchise pubs within the current year. The company recently achieved a significant milestone by hitting 100 franchise Hive and Nest concept pubs.
In the year 2025, Greene King Pub Partners introduced 30 fresh franchise pubs, marking its entry into the Scottish market under the Belhaven brand. Looking ahead to 2026, the company plans to extend its franchise operations into Wales and the Southwest of England, with a series of upcoming openings.
Among the confirmed locations for this year are Millwrights in Aylesbury, The Freemasons Arms in Wigan, and The Flag Inn in Egerton.
In 2025, Greene King debuted franchise pubs like The Tarbet in Edinburgh, the first Greene King franchise pub in Scotland following a £285,000 refurbishment. Additionally, The Dolphin in Melbourn was relaunched as a Hive pub after a £570,000 investment, and the Two Poplars in Wokingham opened post a £450,000 transformation.
Penelope Bruce, Pub Partners Franchise Operations Director, expressed enthusiasm about reaching the milestone of 100 franchise pubs and highlighted the continuous growth of their franchise offer since launching the first Hive Pub over four years ago.
Greene King Pub Partners Managing Director, Dan Robinson, commended the ongoing expansion of their franchise business, which complements their successful leased and tenanted pub operations.
The company recently ran a promotion giving away free pints of Guinness during the kickoff of the Six Nations rugby tournament. To claim a free pint, customers had to book a table for any Six Nations game on February 7 through the Greene King website.
This offer was available at all Greene King sports pubs, including Flaming Grill, Hungry Horse, and Belhaven, as part of the new Fans Reunited campaign endorsed by Rugby World Cup champions Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson.
Zoe Bowley, Managing Director for Greene King pubs, emphasized the role of sport and the pub atmosphere in uniting people with the Fans Reunited initiative, which aims to bring together old friends over a pint during the Guinness Six Nations matches. The campaign encourages individuals to reconnect with past acquaintances and share the camaraderie of the game.