| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality |
| Founded | c.1997 |
| Founder(s) | Wolverhampton & Dudley |
| Headquarters | Lunar House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Bucks, SL7 1LW |
| Area served | England and Wales |
| Products | 23 student themed pubs |
| Owner(s) | Barracuda Group (2001-) Wolverhampton & Dudley (c.1997-2001) |
| Website | Varsity Bars |
Varsity is a student-focussed pub chain operating in the United Kingdom. The name originates from annual university sports competitions.
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The chain began in the mid-1990s. Its main competitor was Scream Pubs. Varsity was more sports-orientated than It's A Scream.
Varsity was founded by Wolverhampton & Dudley. It also had the Poacher's Pocket brand, and the Milestone Restaurants chain.
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 twenty two 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 thirty six Varsity bars.
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.[2]
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.