Beefeater restructures marketing

Whitbread has appointed Joanne Adamson to the new role of marketing controller at its Beefeater division, as part of a wider restructuring.

Adamson replaces Beefeater marketing director Anne Elliott, who left the company earlier this year to become a consultant.

Adamson, who was previously marketing controller in charge of the youth sector at The Pub & Bar Company, will be charged with broadening Beefeater’s appeal following last year’s segmentation of the brand.

While a third of Beefeater’s 258 sites will continue to trade under the Beefeater name, 80 outlets are being converted into upmarket, “destination” restaurants, branded Out & Out. The remainder will become either Grill Bar, which is being rolled out nationally following a three-site trial, or a new neighbourhood concept which is still being developed.

Beefeater has decided not to roll out its Banter restaurant brand, which was being tested at sites in Reading and Portsmouth. A spokeswoman says Banter, which was aimed at 20-to 45-year-olds, was “not quite right”, adding the company has decided to fine-tune its neighbourhood concept before rolling it out under a different brand name.

Adamson will lead a team of three marketing managers and will report to Beefeater managing director John Derkach.

Earlier this year, Whitbread sold its 3,000-strong pub estate to Morgan Grenfell Private Equity, a unit of Deutsche Bank, in order to focus on its restaurant and leisure activities, which also include Marriott hotels and David Lloyd sports clubs.

Morgan Grenfell last week relaunched the pubs as the Laurel Pub Company with Ian Payne, former head of Bass’ leased pub estate, as managing director.