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 – will shut its doors in June 2012 after The University of Wolverhampton made a successful bid to Barracuda Group to purchase the building.

Ownership

Wolverhampton & Dudley

Varsity was founded by Wolverhampton & Dudley. It also had the Poacher's Pocket brand, and the Milestone Restaurants chain.

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 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.^[2]

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

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.^[3]

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^[4]

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)^[5][6]

East Midlands

• Leicester – two, on Friar Lane in the city centre, and London Road (A6) towards the University of Leicester
• Lincoln^[7]
• Loughborough

Varsity in Wolverhampton

West Midlands

• Warwick, off the A429, next to the Warwick Medical School at Gibbet Hill^[8]
• Wolverhampton, at the University of Wolverhampton

South West England

• Gloucester

Varsity in Southampton

South East England

• Southampton – on London Road
• Southend on Sea^{[9] [10]}

Wales

• Aberystwyth
• Bangor, near Bangor University
• Cardiff, near Cardiff University^[11]
• 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