Pouring Success - Estates Development

We are celebrating all the incredible work our fantastic teams do behind the scenes for our pubs, bars and venues, from our Operational superstars to our Pub Support Team.

As part of the largest hospitality company in the UK, our teams excel at adapting to the dynamic nature of our industry. Our Estates team is dedicated to optimising the Stonegate of today while developing the Stonegate of tomorrow.

Innovation and improvement are at the heart of what we do. In 2024, we invested a remarkable £100 million into our estate, from major refurbishments to exciting new concept launches. With over 4,500 pubs, bars, and venues, our commitment to continuous investment is unwavering, and our Estates Development team plays a crucial role in this journey.

Now part of our Strategy department, the Estates Development team identifies potential areas for investment or redevelopment, ensuring we can fund our operational investments and support our teams in delivering exceptional experiences for our guests. For instance, in 2024, the team identified a number of opportunities within the estate such as housing convenience stores, electric vehicle charging and more, which is a testament to their dedication to innovative ideas that support our investment plans.

James Harrison, Director of Estates, adds:
"It’s been a journey of massive expansion over the past few years. Sitting in the Strategy team means we can now be more proactive, use data to become more comfortable taking calculated risks, and gain a whole load of insight into why decisions are being made. We spend a lot of time with the Operations Directors to help understand where we can support them—whether that means identifying sites that require additional support, determining if a site would be more financially viable in a different format, or ultimately deciding if it should be sold.

We have worked hard to build both a process and trust in our decision-making, meaning we now have a high success rate when taking proposals to the board. They trust our judgment because of our consistency in behaviour and decision-making."