Whitbread PLC, the hospitality conglomerate behind Premier Inn, has confirmed that two Brewers Fayre locations in North and North-East Scotland are scheduled for permanent closure on Monday, September 7. The affected establishments are Mains Of Balquharn in Portlethen and Inshes Gate in Inverness.
These closures form part of Whitbread’s strategic shift to become a “pure-play hotel business,” with a concentrated focus on its Premier Inn brand. The overarching proposal, first introduced in April 2026, outlined plans for significant changes across its restaurant portfolio, which includes popular chains such as Beefeater and Brewers Fayre.
Under the restructuring initiative, some existing restaurant sites are slated for conversion into additional rooms for Premier Inn hotels, while others are expected to be sold as going concerns. This transformation is projected to generate approximately 600 new hotel rooms in areas identified for high demand. Furthermore, the strategy involves integrating in-house restaurants within Premier Inn locations, a format that Whitbread states is already successfully operating in over half of its hotels and is highly favoured by guests.
The Brewers Fayre at Inshes Gate in Inverness, prior to its impending closure, offered breakfast services from 6:30 am on weekdays and 7:00 am on weekends, extending to lunch and evening meals until 11:00 pm from Monday to Saturday, and 10:30 pm on Sundays. The venue also provided an indoor play area and catered for children’s parties.
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The extensive restructuring programme is anticipated to impact a significant number of employees, with estimates suggesting around 3,800 roles across the UK and Ireland could be affected. While there is currently no specific confirmation regarding the exact number of job losses at the Portlethen and Inverness sites, Whitbread PLC has expressed its intention to redeploy as many affected workers as possible.
A spokesperson for Whitbread PLC commented on the strategic direction, stating: “This change will involve exiting all of our remaining branded restaurants, which trade under brands including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, a number of which will be converted into approximately 600 additional Premier Inn rooms, with the remainder expected to be sold as going concerns. We will continue to offer a great breakfast and dinner at all hotels, replacing branded restaurants with a restaurant inside the hotel. This mirrors the format which is already in operation in over half of Premier Inn hotels and is highly popular with hotel guests.”
In addition to the Brewers Fayre closures, several Beefeater restaurants, another brand owned by Whitbread, are also scheduled to cease trading. This includes multiple Beefeater venues in Dundee, which are set to close on September 10, 2026.
