Varsity (pub chain)
{{Short description|British student-focused pub chain}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Varsity
| logo =
| caption =
| type = Brand
| traded_as =
| genre =
| fate =
| predecessor = Defunct
| successor =
| foundation = Mid-1990s
| founder = Wolverhampton & Dudley
| defunct =
| location = Luton, England
| locations =
| area_served = England and Wales
| key_people =
| industry = Hospitality
| products = 23 student-themed pubs
| services =
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| aum =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner = Stonegate Pub Company
(2013–present)
Wolverhampton & Dudley
(1990s–2003)
| num_employees =
| parent =
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = [http://www.stonegatepubs.com/ Stonegate Pub Company]
| footnotes =
}}
Varsity was a British student-focused pub chain that operated from the mid-1990s to 2013.
History
Varsity was founded by Wolverhampton & Dudley in the mid-1990s, and was named after annual university sports competitions. Its main competitor was Scream Pubs, though Varsity was more sports-orientated. Varsity operated the "V Card", one of the first loyalty cards, which allowed a cheaper price for some food and drinks.{{cite web|url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2009/08/27/329513/Barracudas-Varsity-bars-target-fresher-students-with.htm|title=Barracuda's Varsity bars target fresher|date=27 August 2009}}
The first Varsity opened in Wolverhampton and was the site of concerts by numerous notable musicians throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Queens of the Stone Age, Baka Beyond, The Olivia Tremor Control, Headswim, Hurricane #1, The Idoru, Kenickie, The High Llamas, Colin MacIntyre, Ian McNabb, Mundy, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Heather Nova, Mike Peters, 3 Colours Red, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, and Theaudience.{{cite web | url=https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/the-varsity--2 | title=Concert History of the Varsity Wolverhampton, England, United Kingdom | Concert Archives }}{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YumUjYiw5KE | title=Queens of the Stone Age live in Wolverhampton, UK (1998) | website=YouTube | date=14 November 2018 }}
In 2001, Silverfleet Capital's Barracuda Group bought 50 pubs from Wolverhampton & Dudley for £37.25 million, which included the entire Varsity chain.{{cite web|url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Companies/33812/barracuda-group-limited.html |title=Wayback Machine has not archived that URL |access-date=2023-03-27}}{{dl|date=March 2023}} In 2005, the Barracuda Group was sold to Charterhouse Capital Partners for £262 million. By 2006, the company had expanded to 36 Varsity pubs.{{cite web|url=http://www.pub-rooms.co.uk/barracudagroup-pubs-bars.php|title=Varsity Bars Room Hire|publisher=}} In 2012, Barracuda was renamed to the Bramwell Pub Company.{{cite web|url=http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Barracuda-restructures-becomes-Bramwell-Pub-Co|title=Barracuda restructures, becomes Bramwell Pub Co|date=30 September 2012 |publisher=}}
The original Wolverhampton site closed in 2012, after the University of Wolverhampton made a successful bid to purchase the building from its struggling owners.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/varsity-blues--6264646|title=Varsity Blues - bar chain with pubs in North and Mid Wales goes into administration|last=Live|first=North Wales|date=2013-11-01|website=northwales|access-date=2019-08-04}} In 2013, the Bramwell Pub Company went into administration and the Stonegate Pub Company bought 78 of its pubs, including the Varsities.{{cite web|url=http://thepublicansguide.com/8/|title=Stonegate rescue some of Bramwell's Pubs|website=The Publicans Guide}} The pub in Coventry is now the only one still bearing the Varsity name, though it is still operated by Stonegate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stonegatepubs.com/locations/great-uk-pubs/varsitywarwick|title=Varsity, Coventry {{!}} Stonegate Corporate Site|website=www.stonegatepubs.com|access-date=2019-08-04}}
Sites
{{div col|colwidth=10vw}}
- Aberystwyth
- Bangor
- Bolton
- Cardiff[http://www.cardiffpubs.co.uk/Pub.php?Pub=Varsity Cardiff pubs]
- Coventry{{cite web|url=http://www.pub-explorer.com/wmids/pub/varsitycoventry.htm|title=Varsity Warwick - Westwood Heath Coventry West Midlands|website=www.pub-explorer.com}}
- Durham
- Gloucester
- Huddersfield
- Hull
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Lincoln{{cite web|url=http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/FOOD-MONSTER-Varsity-pub-Lincoln/story-11197294-detail/story.html|title=Lincoln|work=This isLincolnshire |date=12 May 2011 |publisher=}}
- Loughborough
- Manchester
- Preston
- Sheffield{{cite web|url=http://www.sheffieldpub.co.uk/pubs/city-centre/varsity/|title=Sheffield pub guide|publisher=}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pub-explorer.com/syorks/pub/varsitysheffield.htm|title=Varsity - Sheffield South Yorkshire|website=www.pub-explorer.com}}
- Roath
- Southampton
- Southend-on-Sea{{cite web|url=http://www.pub-explorer.com/essex/pub/varsitysouthendonsea.htm|title=Varsity - Southend on Sea Essex|website=www.pub-explorer.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pub-rooms.co.uk/ask-pubs.php?pubs=3076|title=Pub Rooms Southend|publisher=}}
- Sunderland
- Swansea
- Wolverhampton
{{div col end}}
Gallery
Image:Varsity, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds (27th May 2010).jpg|right|Varsity in Leeds
Image:Plymouth , Derry's Cross - geograph.org.uk - 1185284.jpg|right|Varsity in Plymouth
Image:Varsity, Southampton - geograph.org.uk - 26478.jpg|right|Varsity in Southampton
Image:The Varsity - geograph.org.uk - 977427.jpg|right|The first Varsity in Wolverhampton
References
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Category:Stonegate Pub Company