Greene King is one of the oldest and largest brewers and pub operators in the UK with over 2,500 pubs and more than 14,000 staff.

The Greene King business is divided into four divisions – managed pubs and inns (Pub Company), leased and tenanted pubs (Pub Partners), the Brewing Company, and Belhaven (the Scottish brewer and pub operator it acquired in October 2005).

Most of the estate is unbranded, except for the food-led Hungry Horse brand and the more softly-branded Old English Inns.

As of 16 April 2007, the managed pub division operated 510 local pubs and 280 destination pubs (food-led or pubs-with-rooms). This division was restructured with the appointment of Jonathon Lawson as managing director for local pubs and Jonathon Webster as managing director for destination pubs. A further 1400 pubs are operated on a tenancy or lease basis by the Pub Partners division.

Greene King has grown rapidly through acquisition buying 2247 pubs since 1996 including 165 pubs from rival Marston’s (then Wolverhampton and Dudley) in 1999, 462 neighbourhood pubs from Laurel Pub Company in 2004 and 271 pubs from the Belhaven Group which it now runs as a separate entity.

Greene King has looked to diversify its business, ahead of and after the introduction of the smoking ban in England in July 2007, into the premium casual dining market with the August 2007 acquisition of 35 Loch Fyne Restaurants for £67.8m.

It has already outlined plans to increase the number of Loch Fynesites by 20% by April 2008, with a medium-term view of doubling the estate - including converting a number of former Greene King pubs which have traditionally relied on a more casual and cheaper food offering.

Historic sales and profits

Latest Greene King News

Greene King buys New Century Inns
Greene King launches pilot graduate placement programme
Ex-Greene King Director to head up Pizza Express
Pub operators are urged to chase the family pound
Greene King denies sub-standard steaks

Greene King Links

Wikipedia on Greene King
Greene King Pubs
Greene King Inns
Hungry Horse
Old English Inns
Belhaven

Lewes Arms controversy

Greene King became the target of local drinkers in the Lewes Arms pub in West Sussex after it dropped local brew Harveys beer in favour of its own brand IPA. The 133 day boycott campaign drew 1,200 petition signatures, arguing that national brewers and pub operators were destroying the regional nature of the pub market. Harveys was reinstated in the Lewes Arms in April 2007 after restructuring its managed pub division. Green King boycott continues at pub level

Greene King reconsiders decision to remove Harveys Bitter from Lewes
Guardian article on the Lewes Arms
Lewes Arms website