I took one last trip to my local Beefeater before it closes

A staple chain in British culture for more than 50 years, many will likely be sad to see it go. It is part of owner Whitbread's restructuring plans, which saw other chains like Brewers Fayre close down too. With the closure just around the corner, I decided to visit my local Beefeater in Essex one last time. I took one last trip to my local Beefeater before it closes It was a Saturday morning, and we arrived just after noon, when the site opened. I'll be honest, I felt sombre, knowing that this would be the last time I visited with my family. I like the Beefeater; it is cheap and enjoyable food, and I know my partner's nan and her friends were always big fans. The rewards, which are sadly no longer able to be used ahead of its impending closure, along with the nice variety and good service, always made it a nice local option for us. It was a sunny day and as it opened, it was very quiet, more so than usual on a Saturday, likely due to the closure. It may have gotten busier later in the day, but it remained fairly quiet during our time there, with just a few other tables covered. The Beefeater was quieter than a usual early afternoon on a Saturday (Image: Newsquest) As is always the case, whether it was busy or quiet, the service was wonderful. We sat down with the now-reduced menu, deciding what to have, with many favourite items still available at the end. Some items had been removed, with Roast Dinners no longer an option, but, luckily for me, my favourite remained. I opted for the chicken tenders to start, with a gammon for my main. We were not waiting long, and as is always the case there, the food was delicious. As I ate the meal, I could not help but feel sad knowing that it was closing, and I am still disappointed that this was the decision that was made. My gammon meal was just £15.79, which also included a fried egg, pineapple, triple-cooked chips and peas. I will always preach about the value for money here, and it still proved true even as it was about to close. Why are Beefeater restaurants closing? All of the Beefeater restaurants are closing due to a restructure by owners Whitbread. The company is planning to convert some of the restaurant sites into additional Premier Inn rooms and sell off around £1.5 billion worth of freehold properties to fund further expansion. The group currently owns about 86,600 hotel rooms and aims to grow this to 96,000 by the 2031 financial year. Dominic Paul, chief executive of Whitbread, said: "We always challenge ourselves to improve and, in light of significant cost increases in the form of business rates and national insurance, as well as the implied market discount to our inherent value, we've looked hard at the options open to us to maximise value creation over the medium and long-term. "This has been a rigorous process and we've approached all options with an open mind. "Our new five-year plan builds on our strengths and drives a significant acceleration of our strategy. "This plan will transform Whitbread into a higher-margin, higher-returning pure-play hotel business. "We're going to go further and faster to deliver a great experience for our guests and high-quality growth and returns for our shareholders." Recommended reading: When are all of the Beefeater restaurants closing? The final closing date for the Beefeater is this Thursday (September 10). If you like something cheap, easy and delicious, I definitely recommend visiting your local before it closes. Thank you, Beefeater, for a wonderful 53 years; you will, by me, for sure, be missed. Will you miss your local Beefeater when it closes? Let us know in the comments.