Whitbread Franchise News

UK's biggest hospitality company hosts major industry debate November 24, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, owner of Premier Inn, the UK's biggest budget hotel chain, assembled experts from across the sustainability and hotels sectors today to debate one of the most important challenges facing the industry – what is 'the Future of Sustainable Hospitality'?

The debate, hosted by Whitbread Chief Executive Alan Parker CBE at the firm's new Burgess Hill Premier Inn, drew together 50 leading names in hospitality and sustainability to explore answers to the questions: Is the hospitality sector doing enough? Do consumers care? And how can the hospitality industry make a difference?

In his last official act as Whitbread Chief Executive, Alan Parker, who retires this week, also formally opened the new Burgess Hill Premier Inn hotel and Beefeater Grill restaurant...

November 03, 2010 // Franchising.com // November 1st Whitbread PLC opened a sustainable Premier Inn hotel and the first low carbon Beefeater Grill restaurant in Burgess Hill. Located on Charles Avenue, the new hotel and restaurant have brought a total investment of £6 million into the local economy.

Guests at the new 60-bedroom hotel will enjoy the same facilities and amenities as every Premier Inn but with the knowledge that they are sleeping in a hotel built using sustainable construction technologies.

Adjacent to the hotel, Whitbread has developed its first low-carbon restaurant – a 220-cover Beefeater Grill which features technologies designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and demands on resources...

September 08, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC the UK's leading restaurant and hotel group and ThirdForce the technology enabled learning solutions and services company are proud to celebrate the achievement of the 1000th Skills for Life learner on the Whitbread programme.

Sarah Brind was the 1000th learner to complete her Skills for Life qualification as part of the Whitbread Apprenticeship programme. Sarah is a Team Manager at the Hampton Inn Table Table and Premier Inn in Salisbury and joined 5 years ago as a Team member but was swiftly promoted within the business after just 3 months service.

Sarah admitted that she hadn't been confident learning literacy and numeracy skills at school and thought that a Skills for Life qualification would be really beneficial to her...

</p><h2>Investing over £7m in carbon and water saving programme</h2><p> July 13, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, has today announced that as part of this year's capital investment programme it will be spending over £7m in a major sustainability programme to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. The move forms an important part of Whitbread's 'Good Together' sustainability strategy and will help the business deliver against its targets of a 26% reduction in energy consumption and a 20% reduction in water use by 2020.

The investment drive will focus on Whitbread's existing estate and will see the introduction of a package of efficiency measures to help the company reduce its carbon emissions and conserve water...

Whitbread PLC uses hotel & restaurant assests to make significant contribution to pension fund May 20, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC becomes the latest FTSE 100 company to announce innovative pension scheme funding approach developed by Deloitte Growing number of businesses will use property and other company assets to fund pension schemes.

Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, today announced in its 2010 annual report that a number of its hotels and restaurants will be used to enable a contribution of over £100m to the company's pension fund.

Whitbread is the latest FTSE 100 company this month, following Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's, to announce this new approach to funding pension schemes that was developed by Deloitte1...

May 20, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company, today announces the publication of its first Corporate Responsibility Report . The 2009/10 report introduces Whitbread's Corporate Responsibility Programme called Good Together and outlines its strategic focus, priority issues and governance.

Highlights of the 2009/10 report include: Progress reporting against key Good Together targets Whitbread's 26% carbon emissions target as it gains the Carbon Trust Standard for demonstrating leadership in carbon reduction. Performance data for Whitbread's pilot green hotel at Tamworth demonstrating a 81% reduction in carbon footprint and a 66% reduction in the water footprint An Award winning apprenticeship and skills development programme for employees Strides forward in recycling, including an innovative food waste recycling project Inspiring case studies of Costa Foundation's work to build schools in Columbia and a new partnership with Wateraid...

March 03, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC today announces that Andy Harrison has been appointed as its next Chief Executive to succeed Alan Parker who has decided to retire from the company on his 64th birthday, 25 November 2010. Andy will join the company on 1 September as Chief Executive designate.

Andy Harrison, aged 52, is currently Chief Executive at easyJet PLC which he joined in 2005. Previously, he was 9 years as Chief Executive of RAC PLC.

Whitbread Chairman Anthony Habgood said:

"We are delighted with this appointment. We conducted a thorough international search and selection process and had a number of high quality candidates. Andy has 14 years proven experience as a successful leader of two significant consumer facing public companies...

January 11, 2010 // Franchising.com // Whitbread, the UK's leading hotel and restaurant group, has confirmed details of its plans for its second green hotel and its first low-carbon restaurant.

Burgess Hill Premier Inn, in West Sussex, represents the latest evolution in environmentally-friendly budget hotels. It follows Whitbread's pioneering green hotel pilot in Tamworth, Staffordshire - the UK's first green budget hotel which opened its doors to guests in December 2008.

The 60-bedroom Premier Inn at Burgess Hill, due to open in Autumn 2010, will adopt the best-performing green technologies trialled in Tamworth to deliver 70% carbon and 60% water savings.

Adjacent to the hotel, Whitbread will develop its first low-carbon restaurant - a 220-cover Beefeater open grill restaurant...

September 02, 2009 // Franchising.com // Whitbread, the UK's leading hotel and restaurant group, has achieved an 'Outstanding' grade for its Hospitality and Catering Training programme following an inspection by Ofsted.

Every company that offers a government sponsored training programme is eligible for an Ofsted inspection - very similar to those that schools and colleges experience.

Whitbread has been awarded an 'Outstanding' overall grade for its Hospitality and Catering Training programme which is embedded in their company Induction and Core Skills training programme. Whitbread was also awarded a 'Good' overall grade for its Skills for life training provision.

The Ofsted inspectors use a four-point scale, (Grade 1 - Outstanding, Grade 2 - Good, Grade 3 - Satisfactory and Grade 4 - Inadequate), to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of the provision, the leadership and management of the programme...

June 11, 2009 // Franchising.com // The results of the UK's leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility were announced today. This year 141 businesses participated in Business in the Community's Corporate Responsibility Index, with seven companies achieving the new Platinum Plus level.

In the current climate it is more important than ever for businesses to acknowledge the impact they have on society and the environment and commit to tackling the issues, not just because they should, but because it's good for business.

In achieving a Bronze Award level, Whitbread, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, has demonstrated that we integrate and improve responsibility throughout our operations by providing a systematic approach to managing, measuring and reporting on business impacts in society and on the environment...

March 25, 2009 // Franchising.com // Whitbread, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, has today launched a bespoke training and development programme at the House of Commons. Named the 'Whitbread Model' the six-month apprenticeship programme is the first and largest employer-led programme of its kind in the hospitality industry.

Whitbread also announces that it will create 1,000 new jobs in 2009 to staff its planned opening of around 12 new hotels, 4 restaurants and over 100 Costa Coffee shops.

The 'Whitbread Model' is an innovative apprenticeship programme because all employees are eligible across its UK hotel and restaurant operations. The model is also totally integrated into the core business training and development programmes and can be achieved in half the time of a normal NVQ...

March 16, 2009 // Franchising.com // Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants was a big winner at the PubChef Food Excellence Awards, held in London on 12th March. WHR won two of the most important awards in the industry - Food Operator of the Year (branded), beating off stiff competition from Marston Inns and Greene King. In addition, Taybarns won the Food Concept of the Year award, which recognises the successful development of an outstanding food offer over the past 12 months.

The PubChef Food Excellence awards recognise the industry's top talent, and rewards companies that have developed and delivered a successful food offer in the past year across its estate.Notes to EditorsWhitbread PLC is the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group operating market-leading businesses in the budget hotels and restaurant sectors...

December 15, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, UK's largest hotel and restaurants company, has today announced the appointment of Patrick Dempsey, managing director of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, as an executive director. He will join the Board with effect from 1st January 2009.

Patrick (49) joined Whitbread in 2004 and took over the running of Whitbread's budget hotels business in 2005. Since that time Premier Inn has grown by nearly 10,000 rooms, undertaken a major rebranding and Patrick led the integration with the Whitbread restaurants business. Patrick spent 20 years at Forte and has worked in hotel and restaurant businesses throughout his working life.

Anthony Habgood, Chairman Whitbread PLC commented: "I am delighted that Patrick is to join the Whitbread Board where we will benefit from his strong operational experience...

Apprenticeship training programme first in hospitality industry to award a fully embedded employer led programme November 10, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, the UK's largest hotel and restaurant group, has announced today that it is launching a new bespoke training and development programme. Named 'The Whitbread Apprenticeship Programme' it is the first and largest employer-led programme of its kind in the hospitality industry.

Whitbread PLC's continued success and expansion plans means that they will have created over 4,000 new jobs this financial year and look set to continue this trend. The apprenticeship programme is at the heart of plans to attract, retain and reward top talent.

CEO Alan Parker, who reconfirmed Whitbread's commitment to the Government Skills Pledge, spearheads the programme...

September 17, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread's environmental performance is of great importance to all of our stakeholders: customers, staff members and investors. As a result, we take it seriously. As a business we have a responsibility to take steps to minimise the impact we have on the environment around us. Continuous improvement is part of the Whitbread Way and we must continue to demonstrate our responsibility to the environment and the communities in which we live and work.

The 2007/8 Environment Report serves to communicate to all our stakeholders the work we are doing to reduce our environmental impact and shows encouraging progress. It demonstrates our commitment to reduce our environmental impact wherever we sensibly can...

July 31, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC ("Whitbread") today announces that it has agreed to acquire 21 hotels (1245 rooms), currently operating as Express by Holiday Inn hotels from Mitchells & Butlers plc ("MAB"), in exchange for 44 Whitbread pub restaurants.

The exchange has been made on the basis of equivalent EBITDA of around £9m from the hotels and pub restaurants and an estimated value of £78 million for the assets to be exchanged. This transaction is expected to be earnings neutral in 2009/10 and thereafter earnings enhancing.

The exchange will take the total number of UK Premier Inn rooms to over 38,000 in 550 hotels. Planning consent has been granted to extend five of the 21 acquired hotels, adding around 200 new rooms...

June 17, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC, the hotel and restaurant group, will today report a positive start to the year at its Annual General Meeting.

Sales for 13 weeks to 29th May 2008


% change vs. prior year
Like for like sales Total Sales
Premier Inn 10.7% 18.3%
Pub restaurants 3.6% 5.0%
Costa 6.0% 28.4%

Total 7.1% 14.6%
Alan Parker, Chief Executive, Whitbread PLC comments:"The group has started the new financial year with strong growth in all of its businesses. Total sales have grown 14...

May 15, 2008 // Franchising.com // A new restaurant brand is being launched to address new eating out habits in the UK. Research by leading UK restaurant group Whitbread shows that British restaurant goers want a more personalised dining experience; they want a restaurant that gives them more choice and allows them to create their own space and atmosphere.

The new Table Table brand has been created to address this and is launching across the country this week - 14 May - with 105 new restaurants.

Table Table offers different styles of dining spaces to give more choice to customers, whatever their mood or occasion. In the space of one restaurant customers will find everything from cosy and intimate dining areas for romantic dinners for two to large party areas in separate rooms for groups of friends and family to get together...

HighlightsFinancialProfit before tax and exceptional items for Continuing operations2 up 26.3% to £210.3m (2006/7: £166.5m)
Total revenue for Continuing Whitbread1 up 11.3% to £1,187.8m (2006/7: £1,067.2m)
Like-for-like sales for Continuing Whitbread up 5.7%
Diluted pre-exceptional EPS up 30.5% to 85.87p
Final dividend up 21.4% to 26.90p; full year dividend up 19.0% to 36.00p (2006/7 30.25p)
StatutoryTotal Group revenue £1,320.1m (2006/7: £1,524.3m)
Total profit for the year £544.8m (2006/7: £281.5m)
Basic pre-exceptional EPS from Continuing operations2 up 56.3% at 76.01p (2006/7: 48.62p)
Year end net debt of £425.8m (2006/7: £898...

April 28, 2008 // Franchising.com // Whitbread PLC has today announced the appointment of Stephen Williams as a Non-Executive Director. He has joined the Board with effect from 27 April 2008.

Stephen Williams (60) is General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of Unilever PLC and Unilever NV where he has worked for 22 years. Before that he was at ICI after training as a solicitor at Slaughter and May. Stephen is currently the Senior Independent Director at Arriva PLC and was a non-executive director of Bunzl PLC until 2004.

Anthony Habgood, Chairman, Whitbread PLC said: "We are delighted to welcome Stephen to our Board. Stephen has great experience of consumer goods and doing business worldwide. I am sure that he will make a valuable contribution to the Company at what is an exciting time in its development...