The community-focused franchise was launched in November 2021, with the Maldon Grey in Sudbury, Suffolk, marking the first Hive pub to open later that month after a £200,000 renovation.
By April 2022, Greene King had launched seven sites across the country, having opened the Orb & Sceptre in South Wootton, Norfolk, following a £400,000 investment.
After the Orb was the Norfolk Terrier in Thetford, Norfolk, following a £340k investment from the pub operator and brewer after being closed for more than two and a half years prior to the relaunch.
May 2022 then saw the reopening of the Globe in Chelmsford, Essex, following a £320k renovation.
Operator of the Globe Melissa Field said: “Taking on a Hive Pub has been an incredible experience for us. Greene King have invested in and led the transformation of the pub. They sort out just about everything from back of house systems to stock."
The concept hit double-digits the following month with the opening of its tenth site, the Albert Tavern in South Norwood, London, which benefitted from a £100k investment, including new lighting, furniture, decorations, and flooring throughout.
Transformative investments
Greene King’s next Hive milestone came when the Coach and Horses in Maghull, near Liverpool, reopened following a £450,000 refurbishment, marking the 20th site in the franchise.
By November 2022, a year after its launch, Greene King hit 25 Hive pubs with the Rose & Thistle in Reading, Berkshire, which has been closed for the previous two years due to the pandemic.
December 2022 saw one of the biggest Hive investments to date, with Greene King investing £940k into the Victoria in Thurston, Suffolk, which is operated by franchisees David and Natash Riggs.
Following this, former managing director of Greene King Pub Partners Wayne Shurvinton told The Morning Advertiser in July 2022 that the firm planned to reach 30 sites by the end of that year, and the pubco hit its target in February last year with the opening of the Essex Skipper in Frinton, Essex.
In August 2023, the Ainsty in North Yorkshire also welcomed customers back to the site following a £500k transformative investment. Alongside refurbs undertaken at the Good Companions in Reading and the Nelson Hotel in Wallasey, it totalled £1.5m in investment costs when combined.
Greene King then marked the launch of its 40th Hive site, the Britannia in Bradwell, Stoke-on-Trent, which was previously one of the firms’ managed sites, having benefitted from a £400k makeover.
Moving to this year, Greene King opened its 50th Hive pub, the Robert Kett in Wymondham, Norfolk. The venue welcomed customers back after a £485,000 investment by Greene King with operators Daniel and Daryl Seamons at the helm.
Milestone site
In October 2024 the pub operator and brewer opened two more Hive Pubs for a combined investment of £970,000, taking the total number of Hive pubs in Greene King Pub Partner's estate to 57.
A former Greene King managed pub, the Otter in Drayton, near Norwich, reopened as the Old Mill after a £445,000 investment, operated by franchisees Mark and Carol Wenn.
Meanwhile the Broken Cross in Rudheath, Cheshire, also rebranded as a Hive Pub after a £525,000 investment by Greene King Pub Partners, operated by franchisees Samantha and Nick Garland.
Last summer the Hive concept was awarded an accreditation from the British Franchise Association (BFA), also becoming a member of the association, while in August this year it received Sustainability Champion status from the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII).
Aimed at those with experience of running a pub, the Hive Pub franchise agreement gives licensees a ready-to-trade pub within a proven branded concept for £5,000, ingoing cost and a minimum guaranteed income of £20,000 plus additional income based on performance such as share of turnover.
Many of the pubs within the concept offer quiz nights, live music, karaoke as well as fundraising events for local causes. Sport also plays a key part of the offering at Hive pubs, with most sites equipped with both Sky Sports and TNT Sport subscriptions to show major sporting events.
