Uncertainty over future of Wellingborough's Dog and Duck Beefeater pub and restaurant

Whitbread has confirmed to this newspaper that they are considering proposals which ‘could impact’ the Dog and Duck in London Road, Wellingborough.

However, they added that these proposals are subject to consultation and the pub is still currently open and trading.

When Whitbread released its full-year results in April, it said it was launching its ‘Accelerating Growth Plan’.

The plan is designed to deliver a better guest experience and enhance returns by replacing lower-returning restaurants with higher-returning hotel rooms in high demand locations.

The proposed plan will see them invest up to £500m over the next four years to increase the number of Premier Inn UK rooms, enhance the food and beverage offer for more of their hotel guests and improve the performance of their branded restaurant estate.

What is the Accelerating Growth Plan?

This is what Whitbread said in April:

1. Over the next 24 months we plan to replace around 112 of our lower-returning branded restaurants with integrated restaurants and use the vacated space to add new higher returning hotel rooms to help meet strong demand. At these locations we will transfer the delivery of food and beverage for our hotel guests to an integrated restaurant that will be built inside the neighbouring hotel.

2. Over the next 24 months we are planning to exit 126 branded restaurants; they will continue to operate as they do now so that they can be sold as going concerns. Of these restaurants, we have agreed to sell 21 for £28m.

The majority of their sites, including their existing 387 integrated restaurants and remaining portfolio of 196 better performing branded restaurants, will continue to operate as normal and are not affected in any way.

The construction of new integrated restaurants inside their hotels will commence shortly and the first of their new room extensions are expected to be available to guests by the end of the current financial year with the remaining sites completed over the next few years.

While it is not yet known how the proposals could affect the Wellingborough site, there has been speculation on social media that the Dog and Duck may close – however, this has not been confirmed by Whitbread.

Speaking earlier this year, chief executive officer Dominic Paul said: “This plan is a further positive step, delivering a better experience for our hotel guests and helping to extend our market leadership in the UK.

“I recognise that these changes will be unsettling for affected team members and we are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of those affected to stay with Whitbread by either transferring into roles this plan will create, or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly through our existing recruitment activity that makes c.15,000 hires each year.

"Our teams are at the heart of our guest experience, and I want to thank each and every team member for their continued hard work and dedication to deliver the great quality, service and value that our guests expect from us.”

Whitbread PLC is the owner of Premier Inn and restaurant brands including Bar+Block, Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Cookhouse & Pub, Table Table and Whitbread Inns.