Pub group’s EV charger project will boost region
BREWERY and pub group St Austell has struck a new deal with ScottishPower to install 300 public electric vehicle chargers in pub car parks across the Westcountry.
Cornwall Council estimate there are only around 450 EV charging points in the county, while electrical infrastructure in the wider South West is also sparse.
St Austell Brewery, which has 160 pubs in its estate, has now teamed up with ScottishPower to boost EV charging points by approximately 60%, installing rapid and ultra-rapid units across the region.
The company has already upgraded its company car fleet and installed EV chargers for employees driving hybrid or electric vehicles across all its head offices.
Paul Hine, supply chain director at St Austell Brewery said: “We have a proud history of innovation, so working with ScottishPower to install electric car chargers was a great way to prepare our pubs for an electric future. For us, going greener makes good business sense.
“We know that investing in this green tech will help us reduce our carbon footprint and, thanks to ScottishPower, we have been able to do this at scale.”
Andrew Mouat, head of smart mobility at ScottishPower, said: “Since the beginning of our partnership, the team at St Austell Brewery always had clear goals of wanting to bring something special to their business and the local community in the South West.”
Earlier this month, St Austell Brewery posted record revenues and a jump in profits for the last financial year. Despite challenging trading conditions, the Proper Job and Tribute maker said demand for beer had remained “strong”.
The pub company said underlying operating profit grew by 15% to £13.2 million for the 52-week period to December 31, 2023, while turnover hit £229.5 million for the period.
St Austell said costs had increased “significantly” over the year – particularly for food and labour – while the cost-of-living crisis had continued to reduce levels of disposable income and change consumer behaviours.
Will Michelmore, non-executive chair, said the Cornish firm was “pleased” the increase in sales had been converted into improved profits for the business.
“We are very proud of these results given the challenges that the company and wider sector continues to face,” he said. “We continue to be optimistic about our long-term prospects and remain confident that we have the leadership and focused strategy that will ensure the company’s continued growth and future success.”
Kevin Georgel, chief executive, said the company had made “significant progress” with its ambitions for the business in 2023.
He said: “We have continued to invest in our people and our highquality pub estate, whilst futureproofing our beer brands and drinks portfolio. As a result of this continued investment, and the contribution of our dedicated and talented teams, I am confident that we are delivering great experiences for our customers all year round, and this is generating strong profit growth.”
Mr Georgel said St Austell was focused on “continued growth” moving forward.
He added: “Our financial performance compares strongly with the market, and we remain a profitable, strongly cash-generative business with a clear strategic direction.”