The Malta Inn pub beside Allington Lock in Kent in 2011

The names behind the memories

Beefeater questions answered

Whitbread owned Beefeater restaurants from 1974 until they closed in 2026. Beefeater gin is a separate brand, owned by Pernod Ricard since 2005.

Ownership checked 11 October 2026

The Malta Inn pub beside Allington Lock in Kent in 2011 · Photo: Christine Matthews. Photo source ↗ · CC BY-SA 2.0

Sources: Whitbread history, Whitbread closure notice and Pernod Ricard’s Beefeater gin profile (checked 11 October 2026).

A few familiar questions

The names, buildings and hotel signs can blur together after fifty-two years. These answers separate the Beefeater brand from the pubs that carried it, and distinguish a recorded fact from a story that still needs a stronger source.

Sources for A few familiar questions

Frequently asked questions

Who owned Beefeater?

Whitbread owned Beefeater restaurants from 1974 until they closed in 2026. Beefeater gin is a separate brand, owned by Pernod Ricard. Its early operating subsidiary was Whitbread Beefeater Steak Houses Limited. A Bedfordshire Archives agreement dated 30 August 1981 records 38 premises being transferred to that company.

When did Beefeater start, and how long did it last?

The first restaurant opened at the Halfway House in Enfield in July 1974. The final national closure date was 10 September 2026, 52 years later. The original Enfield building had already become a Toby Carvery in April 2009.

Why was it called Beefeater?

No Whitbread explanation of the naming decision has been found. The likely inspiration is the familiar nickname of the Tower of London’s Yeomen Warders. That connection is plausible, but no company statement confirms it.

Who was Mr Beefeater?

Roger Hargreaves created a special Mr Men character for Beefeater’s children’s activities. In 2014, Adam Hargreaves recalled a ten-year promotion. The later Mr Men and Little Miss partnership brought activity books, balloons and character-themed meals back to family tables.

Was The Duck a Beefeater?

Yes. The Duck at 176–184 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, opened beside a Premier Inn on 3 March 2008. Contemporary reporting called it the first new Beefeater for eight years, but other accounts use different intervals. We record the opening date without claiming an undisputed first.

Was the Malta Inn on Malta?

The Malta Inn Beefeater was at Sandling in Kent, by the River Medway near Allington. The name refers to that British pub; it does not show that Beefeater had a restaurant on the island of Malta.

Is Toby Carvery part of Beefeater?

No. Beefeater belonged to Whitbread; Toby Carvery belongs to Mitchells & Butlers. Some buildings changed between the two, including Enfield’s first Beefeater. A shared address through time does not make the brands the same chain.

How did Beefeater connect with Premier Inn?

Whitbread opened its first budget hotel at Basildon in 1987. Travel Inn hotels often stood beside pub-restaurants so hotel guests and local diners could use the same dining room. The Watermill is reportedly the first restaurant partner, but that claim lacks a firm primary record.

Was Beefeater a franchise?

No record of a Beefeater franchise scheme has been found. A Franchising.com directory entry said it was not accepting franchise applicants; that listing alone proves no scheme. Later Wetherspoon franchises in former Beefeater buildings are a different arrangement.

What happened to the Beefeater website?

On 8 October 2026, beefeater.co.uk and its restaurant pages redirected to Premier Inn. Beefeater closed nationally on 10 September; Brewers Fayre had closed on 7 September, and Bar + Block, Table Table, Whitbread Inns and Cookhouse + Pub on 3 September. Hotel food continues in changing formats.

A shared name, a different business

The Montford Place photograph shows the gin company’s building, not a Beefeater restaurant. The two brands are separate businesses.

Beefeater, 20 Montford Place, SE11Photo: Robin Webster, Beefeater, 20 Montford Place, SE11, CC BY-SA 2.0. Converted to WebP; uncropped.