The Brewers Fayre and Beefeater restaurants which could be sold or closed by parent company Whitbread

As previously reported by The News, Whitbread has said it plans to “optimise” its food and drink offering to add more than 3,500 hotel rooms across its estate and increase “operational efficiencies”.

Whitbread plans to axe around 1,500 jobs as a result of the shake-up though it said those job cuts are still subject to consultation and would come from its total UK workforce of 37,000 employees.

The overhaul will see the firm sell 126 of its less profitable branded restaurants, with 21 sales already having gone through. It will also convert 112 restaurants into additional hotel space though it is unclear how this will affect its breakfast offering.

In the Portsmouth area this may affect the Harbour Lights Beefeater in Cosham, a Brewers Fayre on Clarence Pier and Premier Inn hotels located in Isambard Brunel Road, Queen Street, Port Solent and in Southsea.

Popular Beefeater eateries the Rusty Cutter in Bedhampton and the Oast and Squire in Fareham are also in the firing line.

A spokesperson said these locations were among those where redundancies could be made. “We have announced proposals which could impact these sites, but it is important to note they are subject to consultation. It’s also worth noting the sites are open and trading as usual,” the spokesperson said.

“We recognise that this will be unsettling for our team members, and we are providing them with dedicated support. We are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of our affected team members to stay with us by either transferring into new roles, or by taking up other vacancies across the business more broadly through our existing recruitment activity.”