Orchid rolls out Sky across estate

Managed operator Orchid Group is investing £3.6m installing Sky in all its 300 pubs and restaurants. More than half of the estate will also have...

Managed operator Orchid Group is investing £3.6m installing Sky in all its 300 pubs and restaurants.

More than half of the estate will also have Sky 3D. Currently Sky is shown in around 100 of its pubs and carveries.

It's believed that Orchid is taking advantage of discounts offered by Sky this season to food pubs.

There is a discount of 3% for anyone whose food sales account for more than 30% of turnover — the discount rises to as high as 10% for anyone whose food sales are more than 60% of turnover.

Orchid, which runs Bar Room Bar, the Oriental Restaurant Group and The Living Room, was one of the first pub companies to roll out Sky 3D across 88 pubs earlier this year.

Orchid chief executive Rufus Hall said: "This investment marks the next big step in Orchid's strategy to drive the importance of community and family values.

"We have trialled Sky+HD and Sky 3D sports in both our drink and food led businesses and the results show this is what our customers want.

"We are delighted to be injecting more into the Orchid offer at a time of uncertainty for the UK consumer, as we recreate and enhance the 'living room' at no extra cost to our customers at their 'local'.

"History has shown that what does well across the pond goes down well with us Brits - the USA executes food and sport seamlessly across a range of trading formats without compromise.

"We recognise there is currently a gap in the UK market to provide sporting entertainment, food and drink with friends and family all under one roof, and we aim to fill it."