Dunfermline Brewers Fayre restaurant one of many at risk of closure

The company confirmed on Thursday that the Crooked Glen Brewers Fayre restaurant is one of the branches on the chopping block.

“It’s important to note [these plans] are subject to consultation. It’s also worth noting the site is open and trading as usual,” a media spokesperson for Whitbread said.

“We recognise that this will be unsettling for our team members and we are providing them with dedicated support.”

They continued: “We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by either transferring into new roles, or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly through our existing recruitment activity.”

It was widely reported earlier this month that the company – which also owns Premier Inn’s independent restaurant brands including Bar+Block, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, and more – planned to replace 112 “lower returning” restaurants with new hotel rooms.

They also announced plans to shut down and sell off 126 branded restaurants across the country.

It’s not known whether Crooked Glen is one of the “lower returning” branches which will be turned into new hotel rooms, or whether it will be one of the locations that are sold off. Whitbread was not able to provide any further information while employee consultations are underway.

However, the decision is all part of Whitbread’s “accelerating growth plan.”

As part of the company’s year-end financial results, they announced their plans to close down more than 200 restaurants in the next two years while adding 3500 new hotel rooms to the Premier Inn portfolio.

“Occupancy is high and there is a significant and structural shortage of new hotel rooms across the UK as many independent hotels have exited the market,” the company press release stated.

“We are uniquely placed to meet the strong demand from our guests by commencing a new hotel room extension programme and growing our UK pipeline at a time when many competitors cannot.”

Where low earning restaurants are replaced, Whitbread said they will offer hotel guests an “integrated restaurant” option which will be located inside the hotel instead.

The company will be required to consult with its employees – either directly or through trade union representatives or elected employee representatives – to provide information about the planned redundancies and try to come to an agreement.

The consultation process will take a minimum of 45 days. At the end of that consultation, the future of Dunfermline’s Crooked Glen Brewers Fayre will be determined.