Barracuda highlights importance of Smith & Jones brand with relaunch

The pubs, situated across England, Scotland and Wales, will keep their independent names such as The Phoenix and The Prodigal, but more emphasis will now be placed on the Smith & Jones brand as Barracuda seeks to appeal to younger and food-led customers who 'value the reassurance of a quality brand'.

Barracuda chief executive Mark McQuater said it was time to make the 10-year-old Smith & Jones chain less of a 'stealth brand' and one that was more 'customer facing' like its student chain Varsity.

“Smith & Jones has grown its brand presence over the last two years to become one of the largest and most nationally widespread pub chains across England, Scotland and Wales. This successful programme of ongoing evolution inherent within our estate keeps our pubs at the forefront of consumer requirements," he said.

Barracuda started the reband last year, designing a new logo and giving pubs a more contemporary look as part of its strategy of running a seven-day trading business.

The new Smith & Jones aims to attract a broad customer base from over 25s and young urban professionals to families and large groups. It will operate under what it calls a versatile trading concept and will place more emphasis on food sales.

McQuater said: “Smith & Jones delivers our customers a fantastic pub experience. Offering a great beer, wine and food experience during the day, not to mention the coffee and breakfast trade which continues to grow rapidly, the Smith & Jones format also gives our weekend customers a great environment in which to relax and unwind. We remain enthused about the future potential and continued expansion of this successful format."