St Austell, the Cornish brewer and pub operator, is planning to open standalone coffee shops after the success of its Brewer & Bean format within its managed pubs, M&C Report has learnt.
The brand is also set to be introduced into selected sites across St Austell’s tenanted estate after a rollout across the company’s 25 managed pubs boosted coffee sales by 27% in 2014.
Ashley Rudd, retail operations manager at St Austell, told M&C Report the company was looking at a location in Plymouth for the first Brewer & Bean coffee shop to operate independently from its pubs.
He said: “We will look to build on the success of Brewer & Bean in 2015 following a sales increase in coffee of 27% in 2014. We are looking at a standalone proposition in Plymouth and I am optimistic this will happen in the Spring.
“Also, there are a number of tenants interested in selling Brewer & Bean Coffee and we will work closely with them in regard to training and equipment upgrades/requirements.”
Brewer & Bean was rolled out across the managed estate in 2014 after a trial at five sites in the first quarter of the year. The company worked with Cornish Coffee to develop its signature blend and to train staff.
Rudd told M&C Report that St Austell’s Coastal Pub & Kitchen menu could also be introduced to the tenanted estate. He said the menu, which focusses on premiumised pub classics, had been such a success at the Old Custom House, Padstow, that the company had taken the decision to close the adjoining seafood restaurant, Pescadou, and extend the dining area for the pub.
He said: “We feel that opening the pub through to the seafood restaurant would be a good option and we estimate that the cost to do this would be in the region of £800,000. We would incorporate a Champagne & Oyster bar and areas would be zoned so the pub would have different areas catering for the needs of different customers.”
He said the refurbishment, plans for which are currently being drawn up by Philip Harrison Design, would incorporate the two kitchens into one in order to cope with the uplift in demand.
The Old Custom House will also be removing all it flatscreen TVs as it seeks to focus on food, coffee and accommodation. The company hopes the audience for televised sport will transfer to its other Padstow pub, Shipwrights.
