Greene King to axe 100 jobs
The brewer announced the losses as part of a cost-saving restructure to help the business “remain sustainable and fit for the future”.
The majority of the jobs (60) are based at its Bury St Edmunds, with the other 40 based at Burton upon Trent. The roles affected are office-based, but the company said the restructure would see 25 new roles created in the business.
A Greene King spokesman said: “The industry in which we operate is facing considerable cost pressures and we are not immune. We need to focus on supporting our pubs and believe the proposed structure will deliver a simpler, more effective way of working and, at the same time, reduce costs.
“This decision has not been taken lightly but is necessary to ensure that Greene King is sustainable and fit for the future.”
In its annual results, Greene King reported a 1.8% year-on-year drop in group revenue and a 1.2% drop in like-for-like sales. Its profit was down 11.2% year-on-year as well. Chief executive officer Rooney Anand described it as a “challenging trading environment” and expected it to remain this way for some time. The National Living Wage, sugar tax, utility taxes and business rates were all cited as rising costs for the business in its report.
It did predict that a combination of warm weather and the World Cup would aid sales during the summer, estimating that 59% of consumers expected to watch an England game at the pub.
Greene King employs 39,000 people and runs 2,855 sites across the UK.
