Premier Inn owner Whitbread is to cut about 3,800 jobs in the UK and Ireland and shut its remaining Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants as it resets its five-year business strategy, amid tax rises.

In recent years, Whitbread has invested heavily in new Premier Inn hotels across Oxfordshire.

While some Premier Inn hotels in the county now have restaurants converted to the chain’s in-house Thyme brand, a few old-fashioned Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants remain.

READ MORE: Two crashes spark major rush hour delays across Oxfordshire

They include the Longwall Beefeater in Cowley, Bicester Premier Inn (Brewers Fayre), the Beefeater restaurant at Oxford Kidlington (Airport) Hotel, and the Applecart Beefeater at the Premier Inn for Didcot.

With the cuts set to affect about 12 per cent of Whitbread’s 30,000-strong workforce in the UK and Ireland working in its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, this newspaper approached Whitbread to see if the Oxfordshire sites would be affected.

Because the proposal is still under consultation, there was no further local information available specific to the county, revealed a spokesperson.

The spokesperson added: “We appreciate it must be unsettling for those who may be impacted.”

READ MORE: ‘Heartbreak’ as Oxfordshire playground facing axe after 50 years

A statement last week said: “Whitbread has announced today (April 30) that, as part of its proposed new Five-Year Plan, it intends to become a pure-play hotel business focused on Premier Inn, the UK’s number one hotel brand, which is synonymous with quality and value.

“This change will involve exiting all of our remaining branded restaurants, which trade under brands including Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, a number of which will be converted into approximately 600 additional Premier Inn rooms, with the remainder expected to be sold as going concerns.

“The proposed changes announced today build on the success of our Accelerating Growth Plan, announced in 2024, which involved the conversion of over 200 branded restaurants to additional rooms, and the creation of an integrated restaurant in each hotel.

READ MORE: Riverside pub back from the dead years after closing

“This format has proved highly popular with guests and under the proposal, it would be rolled out to all hotels where there is currently a branded restaurant.

“We recognise the impact of this proposal on colleagues who work at the affected sites.

“As a business which recruits around 15,000 people every year, we expect to be able to retain a significant proportion of those affected and will be looking to redeploy as many of our impacted colleagues as possible.

“However, we do anticipate that the proposed changes, which are subject to consultation, would result in a reduction of around 3,800 roles of a total UK and Ireland workforce of around 30,000.

“We will do all we can to support those colleagues affected.”

The Blue Cross centre on Shilton Road is currently caring for a wide range of animals who are patiently waiting for their forever homes.

Top of their current adoption list is Parsnip, a two-year-old cat, along with Cassie, Mollie and Dexter, Lurch, Larry, Tiger, Pinky and Brain, Gilda, and Tilly.

Hannah Wiltshire, centre manager at Blue Cross Burford, said: “We have a wonderful variety of pets here at Blue Cross, from hamsters to horses, all waiting to find their forever homes.

“We’d encourage anyone considering welcoming a new companion to get in touch.

“We take great care to match each person with an animal that’s the right fit for their lifestyle and family.

“By choosing to adopt, you’re not only giving a pet a second chance at a loving home, but also helping us continue supporting even more animals and the people who care for them.

“We’re currently seeing a hidden pet welfare crisis, with more people than ever turning to us for help.

“By adopting, you’re playing a vital role in helping us reach and care for even more pets in need.”

Parsnip, the two-year-old cat currently topping the centre’s list, is best suited to living in a home where he can have space to settle into his new surroundings. He would prefer not to share his home with other cats or dogs.

He could potentially live with secondary school-aged children.

Cassie, a 14-year-old cat, is described as affectionate and would thrive as the only pet in a home with older children.

She enjoys time outdoors and loves human company.

Among the dogs waiting for a new home is Lurch, a three-year-old lurcher who enjoys canine company and could live with another dog following a successful introduction at the centre.

He needs an active home with a secure garden and would suit a family who is home most of the time during his transition period.

Mollie, aged four, and Dexter, aged nine, are a Papillon Cross pair who need a quiet home with minimal visitors and access to peaceful walking routes.

Larry, a three-year-old Great Dane, is also hoping for a home.

He needs experienced owners who understand the breed.

Larry forms strong bonds with people and could potentially live with another well-matched dog.

The centre is also caring for smaller pets in need of loving homes.

Tiger is a two-month-old guinea pig looking for female companions.

Pinky and Brain, two eight-month-old rats, need an experienced owner who can help them build confidence around people.

Gilda is a one-year-old gerbil looking for a home with a neutered male companion and an owner who has experience bonding gerbils.

Tilly, a two-year-old Russian hamster, enjoys enrichment activities and would benefit from access to a playpen in the evenings.

The charity’s Burford centre is based at Shilton Road.

For more information about adopting a pet, visit the Blue Cross website at bluecross.org.uk.