BRITAIN’S leading pub retailer is considering selling 150 of its pubs as part of a major shake-up reports the Mirror.

Greene King, based in Bury St Edmunds, is the country’s leading pub retailer and brewer.

It is further looking to turn 150 of its locations into tenanted pubs.

This means the operator would rent the premises while maintaining independent control over costs, staff, and food.

Greene King has about 1,500 managed sites across its brands including Greene King pubs, Hungry Horse, Chef and Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill.

There are two Greene King owned pubs in Harlow.

The Green Man in the Mulberry Green district of Old Harlow and The Moorhen, close to the River Stort and the railway station.

Greene King said it has not revealed the list of sites which are at risk but said these pubs will be transferred to a new focused business unit as they transition.

Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King, said: “We are confident that our new pub estate strategy will set us up to deliver sustainable profitable growth for the long-term as consumer habits continue to evolve and the operating environment remains dynamic.

“The realignment of our estate – which leverages our strategically important Pub Partners business – enables us to play to the strengths of our brands, capitalise on our investment in digital and loyalty, invest effectively in our core portfolio and most importantly continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our customers.”

The company also said the move will allow it to reinvest cash from the sales back into its core pubs and to reinvest into a £35million digital drive to boost customer loyalty.