Greene King Pub Partners, a division of British pub and brewing company Greene King, has unveiled plans to expand its Hive Pubs and Nest Pubs franchised formats into Wales this year.

The company will open 30 new franchise sites this year after topping 100 franchised pubs.

Hive Pubs was introduced in late 2021, followed by the Nest Pubs franchise concept in 2024.

Last year, Greene King Pub Partners opened 30 new franchise pubs, including its first Belhaven-branded franchised sites in Scotland.

Key launches in 2025 included The Tarbet in Edinburgh, which became Greene King’s first franchised pub in Scotland after a £285,000 ($357,245) revamp.

Other standouts were The Dolphin in Melbourn, relaunched as a Hive Pub following a £570,000 upgrade, and the Two Poplars in Wokingham.

Greene King said it plans to take its franchise offer into Wales and south-west England for the first time this year, backed by a strong pipeline.

For Q1 2026, planned franchise investments and openings include Millwrights in Aylesbury, The Freemasons Arms in Wigan, and The Flag Inn in Egerton.

To support the growth, Greene King Pub Partners is adding two business development managers to its franchise team to cover the expanded territory.

Greene King Pub Partners managing director Dan Robinson said: “We are delighted with the ongoing growth of our franchise business, which continues to complement our very successful leased and tenanted pub business.” 

Last September, Greene King Pub Partners inaugurated its 20th franchise establishment, which was refurbished and transformed into a “hive pub”.