Marston’s Brewery has announced that it is putting 61 pubs up for sale across the UK, including the 192-year-old Crooked House in Dudley, which is famous for its wonky design.
The decision to sell the sites comes after a review of the chain’s estate, with the company stating that it wants to “maximise returns” by focusing on its core venues.
The move is the latest blow to the beleaguered pub industry in the UK, which has been hit hard by rising costs and falling demand from customers.
Pubs across the Midlands, Yorkshire, Sussex and Wales have been put on the market, with rising costs due to inflation causing prices to skyrocket.
The double-whammy of rising costs and falling demand has put many pubs in a difficult financial situation, with many struggling to make ends meet.
Last year, Marston’s increased the price of a pint by 45p, breaking the £4 barrier in many areas for the first time.
Wetherspoons, one of the most popular pub chains in the UK, has also been forced to increase the cost of its beer and food due to ongoing closures.
The chain recently announced that it had closed two pubs for good, with dozens more boozers remaining in the firing line.
Last week, Hove’s The Cliftonville in East Sussex and Southport’s The Willow Grove in Merseyside were the latest sites to be axed.
Meanwhile, dozens of other Wetherspoons sites remain at risk of being axed nationwide, with a total of 13 currently under offer.
If no buyer is found for these sites, they will be permanently closed.
The news comes just weeks after Wetherspoons confirmed that 10 of its pubs would be closing for good after being sold, with another 35 branches up for sale.
In January, the pub chain said that sales had jumped at the end of 2022, but it was still struggling to keep up with its pre-pandemic performance.
Marston’s Brewery has provided a full list of the 61 pubs up for sale, including The Bull & Butcher in Nottingham, The Red Lion in Burton-on-Trent, and The Wellington in Preston.
The closures of pubs and uncertainty surrounding the industry are likely to continue as rising costs and falling demand continue to put pressure on the sector.
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