Whitbread to Cut 3,800 Jobs in Cost-Saving Plan

Whitbread, the hospitality group behind Premier Inn, has announced plans to eliminate around 3,800 jobs across the UK and Ireland as part of a new five-year strategy targeting 250 million pounds in cost savings.

The company outlined the overhaul alongside its full-year results for the period ending February 26, which showed pre-tax profit falling 19 percent to 298 million pounds on flat revenue of 2.9 billion pounds. The moves address rising pressures from increased business rates and employer national insurance contributions, with Whitbread reporting a 35 million pound rise in its business rates bill this year, projected to reach 110 million pounds over three years.

Central to the plan is the replacement of all 197 remaining branded restaurants, including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, and Bar Block, with an integrated food and drink model in hotels. Company officials described this as more efficient and aligned with guest preferences. Some sites will convert into about 600 additional Premier Inn rooms, while others will be sold as going concerns.

Whitbread also intends to sell freehold properties worth 1.5 billion pounds and shift toward a leasehold model, reducing its owned estate...