Brakspear has appointed Chris Keating as marketing manager for its leased and leased pubs
Keating joins a wealth of pub industry experience gained during 17 years at Witney Brewer Refresh and, following its acquisition, Marston’s, where he was marketing director of its beer brands before leaving in 2021. Since then, he has worked in in leading marketing and innovation positions in the food service industry at Premier Foods and Compass Group.
In his new role, Keating will support Brakspear’s 110-person rented and leased property and help its business partners run thriving pub operations in their local communities across the South East.
He says: “It’s a pleasure to be back in the pub world. My drinking experience began when I took on a ‘filler’ role as a part-time guide at Wychwood Brewery in Witney and my first tour was to a group of Brakspear licensees who introduced them to the famous double drip fermentation system for Brakspear beers. . Then as a marketer at Refresh and Marston I was responsible for the Brakspear portfolio. So joining Brakspear feels like coming home!
– After a break of a few years, I am amazed by the continuous challenges of our industry. It’s harder than ever to run a profitable pub, but after going on our tour, I think our tenacious, talented business partners will do better than most.
“The most successful pubs are those where we have provided help and guidance to our business partners in building unique, special businesses with strong ties to their local communities. Marketing is part of that and I’m looking forward to working with them to provide tailored support for their pubs.
Tom Davies, Managing Director of Brakspear, said: “We are delighted to welcome Chris to Brakspear. It is hard to think of anyone with a more relevant experience and we know from our long relationship that he is passionate about both our pubs and our beers.
“We also know that Chris shares our values of nurturing our business partners as individuals and supporting them to develop their pub in their own way, rather than insisting on a ‘one size fits all’ approach. We are confident that he will quickly make a positive difference across our business.”
