Run a pub

Why partner with us

Why Everards?

We are an independent, family-run business with a rich heritage and a continued commitment to the future of brewing and pubs. In recent years, we welcomed our 6th family Chairman, Julian Everard. We invested over £30m into our local economy with the opening of our home at Everards Meadows, which includes a state-of-the-art brewery and a Beer Hall.

If you are looking to run your own pub, whether it’s your first ever pub or you’re a multiple operator, the Everards team can help! We know that running a pub is a huge lifestyle choice and won’t suit everyone. With over 170 years of experience, we’re pretty good at helping people work out if running a pub is right for them.

The majority of our business owners are on a 3-year landlord and tenant-protected tenancy agreement, but we know that talent is at the heart of running a business, and we can be flexible on our agreements if you have a vision we support and know you could deliver. We generally work towards converting to a tenancy agreement when you are ready, and we’ve supported many in creating a successful, profitable business.

We have business owners currently running Everards Pubs who have previously been hairdressers, electricians, supermarket workers and everything in between. There are so many transferable skills, it’s not all about hospitality experience. It’s about a passion for people, and communities, and wanting to deliver the best experience for all who visit.

Great pubs

Our pubs are at the heart of what we do. With over 140 pubs across the Midlands, each one has its own personality, its own community, and its own story — but they’re all built on the same Everards foundations: welcoming spaces, well-kept pubs, and people who genuinely care. We keep investing in our pubs too, because great locals don’t stand still. In the past year alone, we’ve put over £3 million into our estate, helping our pubs look better, feel better, and work better for the people who run them and the communities they serve.

What really sets Everards pubs apart is the support behind the scenes. Alongside our investment, we offer a fair, three-year tenancy agreement protected by the Landlord & Tenant Act, giving business owners the security to focus on running a great pub and building a successful business. And for those on our Nebula agreements, we provide extra support with menu planning, marketing and more — so our Nebula business owners can concentrate on their team, their customers and their local community. Because when our pubs thrive, we all do.

Your business, your way

Most of our pubs are run as independent businesses, because we know it’s great people who make great pubs. Every pub is different, shaped by its community, its customers, and the people running it — which means a one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work.

That’s why we give our business owners the freedom to make their pub their own. It’s your vision, your passion, and your personality that create brilliant experiences for customers and help build a successful business you can be proud of.

Support, tailored to you

We pride ourselves on building great relationships with all our business owners.

You’ll have a dedicated Business Relationship Manager by your side - someone who really gets to know you, your pub, and what you’re working towards. They’ll be there throughout your journey with Everards, offering practical guidance and even a sounding board when you need one.

With over 170 years of experience, we have lots of knowledge and best practices to share.

Access to a fantastic and exclusive beer range

What really sets Everards pubs apart is what’s behind the bar. We’ve been brewing since 1849, and with a recent £6.5 million investment in our state-of-the-art brewery and small batch brewery, our pubs get exclusive access to Everards beers, brewed by us, for us.

From local favourites like Tiger, to an innovative and exciting range you won’t find in anyone else’s pubs. Last year alone, we brewed over 100 different beers for our pubs and partners.

Our business owners even get the chance to brew their own beers, bringing their team and customers along for a brewery tour on us. Having exclusive access to Everards beers is something our business owners are genuinely proud of!

Types of pubs Everards offer

We have a wide range of pubs, from city centre pubs to rural pubs and pubs in the centre of town or on the outskirts of villages.

Which pub is right for you? We’ll help you on the journey to finding the right pub for you. We often have people who think they want to live the rural pub life and actually, after lots of discussion and some “try before you buy” experiences with us, it turns out a small-town pub is a much better fit.

There is room to move around with Everards. We have many business owners who start out in smaller pubs, and as their experience grows, they take on a larger pub with us or even an additional pub. Sometimes that happens in reverse as people take a lifestyle change.

We have lots of room to support you and your pub vision and help you to run your own pub business that suits you. You need to consider the size of the pub, your experience, ingoing and outgoing costs as they vary hugely from pub to pub.

Also, your income will differ depending on the type of pub you have and the offer you put in. We will support you to create a business plan and work out what the financials are likely to be. Then our team can help guide and support you to develop the best offer for you and your community.

We are confident we will be able to match you perfectly with a pub that you will be very happy in.

Types of pub agreements

Ready to explore the different ways to run a pub business and how to choose the right one for you?

You typically have five options:

  • A tenancy

  • A leasehold

  • A freehold

  • A managed partnership

  • Pub manager

What’s the difference I hear you ask?

In a nutshell, a tenancy is where you rent short term, up to 5 years from a pub company/brewery and work in partnership. A lease is more of a long-term rent, usually 10 - 25 years, and a freehold is where you buy and own the building and business, giving you more freedom but also more responsibilities, such as for building repair and maintenance. A managed partnership is a stepping stone to a tenancy, where the brewery/pub owner holds a lot more of the risk, offers increased support and then, instead of your income being linked to the turnover you create, you get paid a salary. You get help and support until you feel confident with the business to take it on as a tenancy of your own. If you want the security of a regular salary, a Pub Manager may be a better option, however, you will lose the freedom to do as you wish with the building and the offer.

Tenancy agreement

A tenancy is a great way to get into the industry and is widely recognised as a cost-effective way into the pub world compared to alternatives such as purchasing a freehold.

Taking on a tenancy means you won’t own the pub, you’ll rent it from the pub owner, but you’ll run the business as your own. You will manage every aspect of the business from staff to the food and drink range, and everything in between.

Generally, there will be an agreed right to occupy the pub, this can range from 3-5 years depending on who you choose to work with. You will usually be able to roll the agreement for another 3-5years if you wish to do so.

Everards tenancy agreements are three years and are protected by the Landlord & Tenant Act which means that if you stick to the terms of your agreement, you can keep re-signing every three years, so the ball is in your court if you wish to stay or not unless you break the terms of the contract.

You will need to check your notice period should your situation change and you need to exit the business (these can vary from 6 months to the end of your remaining contract).

Rent is calculated in different ways depending on who you go with, you can check out how Everards charges rent to give you some guidance. To expel any concerns or myths, most pub companies want you and the pub to succeed, they will not unjustly increase rent, so it is important to ask everyone that you talk to, how they calculate rent.

As part of a tenancy agreement, some pub landlords will support with refurbishments and have ongoing schemes to refresh their buildings internally and externally every 5 years to keep the pub looking its best to support the business owner in offering the best trading experience for their customers. Check this is something the pub company you are talking to offers, if not make sure to include these extra costs in your business planning.

Tenancies are quite often ‘full tie’, this means that you have to buy all of your stock from the pub company directly. Everards won’t make you commit to this, instead, they have their own tie, which they call the ‘Everards supplier agreement’.

If you wanted to exit your tenancy at any point and leave the pub you are running, you’d have to work out a notice period and there may even be penalties for breaking the contract early if it’s before your contracted time comes to an end. You would not be able to sell any “goodwill”.

Leasehold agreement

A leasehold is usually a longer-term agreement, anything between 10-25 years. You commit to paying the landlord rent for this whole period, the rent rate will be reviewed every 3-5 years.

You can usually, if you wish, sell the business to a new owner after 2 years. With a lease, you are allowed to sell the ‘goodwill’ in the business, which means if your business is successful, and you have built it up to this point, you can sell it for a premium.

Leases tend to suit experienced business owners looking for long term commitment, where they are awarded for their hard work when they choose to end their agreement if they have a successful business to hand over.

Leases generally mean you are responsible for ALL repairs and maintenance of the pub building, including insurances, so you have more of the risk and costs than a tenancy agreement.

Freehold agreement

Owning a freehold pub business is much like owning a freehold home. You own the building and the land it sits on. You have no-one to answer to and the freedom to stock the drinks you wish on the bar, which means you can shop around and get the best deals with suppliers, and you also have the added benefit of having no rent to pay.

All this freedom, however, comes at a cost. You will need funds to purchase and maintain the building. However, you can raise a mortgage against the value of the freehold. You are also responsible for EVERYTHING; insurance, maintenance, staff, choosing your drinks range and building relationships with suppliers and you won’t have any support from the pub landlord or brewery.

Managed partnership agreement

Managed partnerships enable you to develop your skills as an independent business owner. It is a perfect stepping stone as you will receive lots of support and development in partnership with the brewery and their other business owners.

Managed partnerships are a great opportunity for those new to the industry or who don’t have the funds to take on the fixtures and fittings and rent of a standard tenancy.

A managed pub partnership means you will have secured income, be it fixed pay or profit based, it offers lots of support, shared costs with the brewery and with you calling the shots for your business.

At Everards we offer tenancies and managed partnerships, so get in touch to chat through how it all works.

Pub manager

Pub Management roles are employed positions, where you will be employed by the pub company / brewery you are working for. Pubs with a manger are often referred to as managed houses.

You will be responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of your pub. You will need to lead, encourage and motivate your team to achieve the best service for your customers.

The salary of a pub manager can be anything from £25k-£35k a year on average, however it's important to note that this varies depending on the location of the pub and the individual experience of the pub manager.

As a pub manager you will need to obtain a personal license that allows you to supply alcohol. Pub managers also are responsible for the safety and security of a pub.

Most pub managers have the option to live at or above the pub, which means you can save on living costs. You will work long, unsociable hours including weekends and holidays, however as a pub manager you will have control over the hours you work which is a bonus.

What’s best for you? There’s no right or wrong way, there’s many successful examples for each route above. The best way for you will come down to your experience, what you can afford, how much support you think you’ll need and what’s available in the area you want to operate in.