The parent company of Premier Inn is weighing up the closure of two beloved British restaurant chains, potentially wiping hundreds of venues from high streets across the nation permanently. Whitbread revealed that it may shut down its remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, closing nearly 200 sites and axing 3,800 positions.

The proposal forms part of a fresh five-year plan which will see the company pursue £250 million in cost reductions while transforming its restaurant operations. While the business stated it would manage to keep the overwhelming majority of its 30,000-strong workforce, the reductions could result in approximately 12 per cent of staff being made redundant at the affected sites.

The restaurants are usually situated adjacent to or within Premier Inn hotels, and have been a fixture for the millions of guests who stay each year. The closures would bring an end to Beefeater restaurants after more than 50 years of trading, with Brewers Fayre having been on track to mark the same anniversary in 2029.

Whitbread has pointed the finger at Rachel Reeves’ Budget, with its chief executive Dominic Paul stating the decision was unavoidable “in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and National Insurance”.

In practical terms, the move will see Whitbread sell and lease back up to £1.5 billion worth of its freehold properties, and will “recycle” the proceeds to “fund future growth”. Discussing the strategy, Mr Paul said: “We plan to convert all our remaining branded restaurants to an integrated food and beverage offer that is preferred by our hotel guests and will unlock the addition of more highly profitable extension rooms,” reports the Mirror.

“Our continued efforts to drive our commercial plan and efficiencies will extend our market-leading position and allow us to take share from our competitors, many of which are struggling to grow.”