Greene King facts for kids
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| Subsidiary (Private limited company) |
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| Traded as | LSE Formerly:GNK |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
| Founded | 1799 |
| Headquarters |
Bury St Edmunds, England, UK
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Key people
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Nick Mackenzie (CEO) |
| Products | Beer |
| Revenue | £2,176.7 million (2018) |
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Operating income
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£373.1 million (2018) |
| £162.5 million (2018) | |
| Owner | CK Asset Holdings |
| Subsidiaries | Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer |
Greene King is a company from Britain that makes beer and runs many pubs. It was started way back in 1799. Today, its main office is in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.
The company owns popular brands like Hungry Horse and Farmhouse Inns. They also have many other pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Greene King used to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, which is a big stock market. However, in October 2019, a company called CK Assets bought it.
Some of their most famous beers are Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale. These are very popular types of beer in Britain.
Contents
Greene King's Story: A Look Back
The Greene King company began as a brewery in 1799. It was founded by Benjamin Greene in Bury St. Edmunds.
Later, in 1836, Edward Greene took over the family business. Then, in 1887, something big happened. Edward's company joined with Frederick William King's brewing business. This merger created the company we know today as Greene King.
Over the years, Greene King grew a lot by joining with or buying other companies. They added many different breweries and pub chains to their family. For example, they bought Rayments Brewery in 1961 and Hungry Horse in 1996. They also acquired Morland Brewery in 1999, which makes the famous Old Speckled Hen beer.
One of their biggest purchases was the Spirit Pub Company in 2015. Greene King paid a lot of money for Spirit, about £773.6 million. This deal made Greene King the largest company in the UK that manages its own pubs. After this, Greene King had a total of 3,116 pubs, restaurants, and hotels.
In 2019, a company from Hong Kong called CK Assets decided to buy Greene King. The shareholders, who are the owners of parts of the company, had to agree to this. Experts said that CK Assets saw Greene King's pubs as a safe investment. This is because properties like pubs often hold their value well, even if the economy slows down. The High Court approved the takeover in October 2019.
How Greene King Operates
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Greene King has a large brewery in Bury St Edmunds. Here, they make many different beers. Some of these beers are named after breweries that are now closed, like Morland (which makes Old Speckled Hen) and Ruddles. Another brewery they own, Belhaven Brewery, still operates in Dunbar, Scotland.
Overall, the Greene King group runs about 3,100 pubs, restaurants, and hotels.
- Retail Division: This part of the company manages their pubs and restaurants. These include popular brands like Hungry Horse, Loch Fyne, and Metropolitan Pub Company. Their goal is to open even more of these places.
- Pub Partners Division: This division works with pubs that are leased, rented, or franchised. This means other people run these pubs, but they are part of the Greene King family.
Visit the Brewery! A Fun Tour
Right next to the main brewery, there is a special visitor centre. You can take tours there regularly throughout the week. It's a great way to learn about how beer is made.
The brewery also has an exhibition of artwork. This art is made by George Taylor. He designed over 250 different pub signs for Greene King pubs. It's interesting to see all the creative signs!
Helping People Grow: Programs and Training
Greene King is very active in supporting young people and helping them learn new skills.
Since 2011, they have offered the Greene King Apprenticeship Programme. This program helps people learn a job while they work. So far, about 9,000 apprentices have gone through this scheme.
In 2016, Greene King started the "Get into Hospitality Programme." They did this with The Prince's Trust, a charity that helps young people. The program aims to help unemployed people get the skills and experience they need to find work. If you complete this program successfully, you can then join the Greene King Apprenticeship Programme.
In 2017, they launched the Craft Academy. This is an 18-month program where apprentices learn about brewing, designing, and marketing. They get paid while they learn and can earn a special diploma in sales. The first five beers made by the Craft Academy apprentices were shown at a festival in London. These included beers like Over Easy and Big Bang IPA.
Greene King Beers: A Taste of Tradition
Greene King makes many different kinds of beer. Here are some of their well-known brands:
Greene King Beers
- Abbot Ale: This is a popular beer that was first made in the 1950s. It uses special ingredients like different types of malt and hops.
- Greene King IPA: This is an English IPA (India Pale Ale). You can find it in pubs and in cans at supermarkets. It's made with specific hops and malt. In 2004, it won a top award at a big beer festival.
- Olde Suffolk/Strong Suffolk Vintage: This is a strong, older type of beer. It's a mix of two different beers, with one aged in oak barrels for two years.
- St Edmunds: This is a light, golden beer.
- Greene King XX Mild: A darker, milder beer.
- Ice Breaker: A pale ale made with American hops.
Hardy's and Hansons Kimberley Ale
- Olde Trip: This beer is named after a very old inn in Nottingham called "Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem."
Belhaven Beers
- Belhaven Best
- Belhaven Black
- Nowhere Pale Ale
- Twisted Grapefruit IPA
Morland Beers
- Old Speckled Hen: This is a very popular beer. It was first made in 1979 by Morland Brewery. It was created to celebrate the 50th birthday of the MG car company. The beer was named after a special MG car that was splattered with paint, called the "Owld' Speckled 'Un." Greene King has been brewing it since 1999.
- Old Crafty Hen: A stronger, special version of Old Speckled Hen.
- Tanners Jack: Often found as a guest beer in pubs.
- Morland Original: Another beer from the Morland family.
Ridley's Beers
- Old Bob: This was a strong beer originally brewed in Essex. It is no longer widely available.
Ruddles Beers
- Ruddles County: A popular beer found in pubs across the country.
- Ruddles Best Bitter: A widely distributed beer.
- Ruddles Orchard: This beer is Ruddles County with apple added to it.
Trader Joe's Beers
- The King's English: A strong IPA.
Greene King has also won several awards for its pubs and management. In 2016, they won "Best Managed Pub Company." Their chief executive, Rooney Anand, also won "Business of the Year" that same year. In 2017, Greene King Pub Partners won "Best Tenanted & Leased Pub Company."
