A pub group with five locations in Tayside and Fife has announced plans to sell or close sites.
The owner of Harvester and Vintage Inns said it will axe up to 20 of its pubs and restaurants as the hospitality sector battles coronavirus restrictions.
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has confirmed the move which is set to put scores of jobs at risk after sales slumped in the face of temporary site closures.
It is understood the company is working with advisers at CBRE to offload the string of sites, which will be closed if M&B cannot sell them to new owners.
The company has not revealed which pubs it intends to sell or close.
Where are the Mitchells & Butlers site in Tayside and Fife?
- Weavers Mill, Campberdown Leisure Park, Dundee
- The Fettykil Fox, Leslie, Glenrothes
- The Glover Arms, Creiff Road, Perth
- The Broxden Manor, Broxden Avenue, Perth
- Harvester Halbeath Park, Dunfermline
Reasons for the sales
An M&B spokeswoman said: “As announced in September, M&B re-opened the vast majority of its estate, approximately 95%, after the first lockdown ended.
“The remaining sites have been under review on a case-by-case basis since, taking into account factors such as expected footfall and business layout.
“We have taken the difficult decision not to reopen some of these sites and are working with leaseholders on next steps.”
Redundancy talks ongoing
Last month, the group, which also runs the All Bar One chain, started redundancy consultations with staff.
The pub and bar group said it was facing “significant difficulties” after restrictions tightened again but did not disclose how many jobs would be impacted by the cuts.
Rivals including Greene King, Young’s, Fuller’s and City Pub Group have also made redundancies during the pandemic.
