Greene King Pub Partners has announced its second joint venture, this time with multiple operator, Kained Holdings.
The partnership will see a six-figure investment by Greene King at the former Drouthy Neebors pub (pictured) in the heart of St Andrews and will ultimately lead to the unveiling of an all-new gin distillery and 60-cover restaurant.
The Joint Venture agreement was launched last year by Greene King at the Butcher’s Tap in Marlow in partnership with Tom Kerridge and now the second pub to benefit from the agreement promises an entirely different vision.
Kained, the much-celebrated Scottish operators, already run three highly-successful bars with Greene King – Lebowskis in Edinburgh and Lebowskis in Glasgow Southside, as well as The Crafty Pig in Glasgow. Their portfolio of award-winning venues also includes a number of other popular bars and restaurants, including Glasgow’s Porter & Rye and The Finnieston.
This latest venture sees Pub Partners bring a major capital investment to the table and in combination with the team at Kained Holdings promises to deliver an entirely new product for sale on the on-trade market.
The distillery will produce a classic-style London dry gin, with a focus on clean, crisp refreshment.
The name of the new brand will be released ahead of the pub’s planned relaunch in late March but the Joint Venture concept means that the new gin brand will be produced jointly by Greene King and Kained Holdings.
Everyone involved in the project is looking forward to introducing a brand new bar and gin distillery that is unique to the very centre of St Andrews.
John Forrest, managing director of Greene King Pub Partners, said: “This is a project that we’ve been extremely excited about for some time and it’s fantastic to be able to let everyone know about our second Joint Venture.
“We’re delighted to be working with Kained Holdings. They’re recognised across the industry as one of Scotland’s leading multiple operators and right from the start we’ve shared a joint vision for the exciting places where this project could lead.
“The concept of the Joint Venture is about creativity and trying something new, with Greene King bringing its big business expertise to the exciting visions of innovative entrepreneurs.
“The aim is to create something new, fresh and innovative that develops new avenues for tenanted and leased businesses and explores the potential for pubs of the future.”
Graham Suttle, managing director of Kained Holdings, said: “We are all delighted to be moving forward in an exciting new partnership with Greene King. The core values at Kained centre around innovation and development, which this project is a direct reflection of.
“People sometimes forget Kained is just three guys with tonnes of passion for real food and drink, who are blessed with a totally awesome team of people. This announcement is the culmination of all those people’s work, and I’m proud to be part of it.
“It’s this shared passion to deliver things that are new and exciting that really kick started this project, with both companies engaged and driven to deliver something unique and not done before.
“St Andrews is a really cool place, with a thriving hospitality scene and lots of great talent on show. We are very excited to join the ranks and bring our own touches to the town’s eating and drinking circuit.”