Varsity (bar)

Varsity is a student-focused pub chain operating in the United Kingdom. The name originates from annual university sports competitions.

History

The chain began in the mid-1990s. Its main competitor was Scream Pubs. Varsity was more sports-orientated than It's A Scream.

Varsity Wolverhampton – the first varsity bar in the chain – shut its doors in June 2012 after The University of Wolverhampton made a successful bid to the struggling Barracuda Group to purchase the building.

Ownership

Wolverhampton & Dudley

Varsity was founded by Wolverhampton & Dudley.

Barracuda Group

The Barracuda Group was formed in July 2000 by PPM Ventures, a private equity company that became Silverfleet Capital.

In September 2001 Barracuda Group bought fifty pubs from Wolverhampton & Dudley for £37.25 million, which included the 22 pubs of the Varsity chain.^[1]

In June 2005, the Barracuda Group was sold for £262 million to Charterhouse Capital Partners. In August 2006 there were 36 Varsity bars.^[2]

A former Varsity at Derry's Cross in Plymouth before its closure in 2013

In October 2012, Barracuda was renamed The Bramwell Pub Company.^[3]

The Stonegate Pub Company

In October 2013, The Bramwell Pub Company went into administration. The Stonegate Pub Company bought 78 of the company's pubs including the Varsities in Lincoln and Coventry.^[4]

Operation

It operates the V Card, one of the first loyalty cards, which allows a cheaper price for some drinks, and allows better offers on some of the food deals.^[5]

The website is now conducted all through Facebook. It serves food most of the day, concentrating on bowls of chips with dips, and a range of hot baguettes with chips.

Estate

North West England

• Longsight, Manchester, near the Elizabeth Gaskell campus of Manchester Metropolitan University

North East England

• Sunderland, near the University of Sunderland, off the A1231^[6]

Varsity in Leeds

Yorkshire and the Humber

• Huddersfield
• Leeds
• Sheffield, on West Street, on the Supertram near the University of Sheffield (science and engineering departments)^[7][8]

East Midlands

• Leicester – two, on Friar Lane in the city centre, and London Road (A6) towards the University of Leicester
• Lincoln^[9]
• Loughborough

Varsity in Wolverhampton

West Midlands

• Warwick, off the A429, next to the Warwick Medical School at Gibbet Hill^[10]
• Wolverhampton, at the University of Wolverhampton

South West England

• Gloucester

Varsity in Southampton

South East England

• Southampton – on London Road
• Southend on Sea^{[11] [12]}

Wales

• Aberystwyth
• Bangor, near Bangor University
• Cardiff, near Cardiff University^[13]
• Roath (Cardiff), off the A469 next to the railway (Rhymney Line)
• Swansea

References

External links

• Barracuda Group

News items

• Punch up outside Swansea pub in January 2011