Will my brewery or landlord need to consent to any finance?

Yes, in most tied or leased pub agreements your brewery, pub-co or landlord will need to consent to any finance secured against fixtures, fittings or the leasehold itself. Their consent is rarely required for unsecured working capital loans drawn into the company bank account, but anything that creates a charge against assets inside the premises usually triggers a clause in the tie or lease.

In practice, three patterns come up. First, asset finance against new equipment you bring into the pub (cellar cooling, kitchen, signage) is usually fine without explicit landlord sign-off because the asset belongs to the finance company until paid off. Second, a debenture or fixed charge over the leasehold or fixtures will need landlord consent and often a Deed of Priority. Third, a personal guarantee from the licensee against an unsecured term loan is typically a private matter between borrower and lender, no landlord involvement.

Pub-co finance teams (Star Pubs, Greene King, Punch, Stonegate) are familiar with the process. A short letter to your business development manager naming the lender, the amount, and the asset class usually unlocks consent within 2 to 4 weeks. Free-of-tie freeholders can ignore this section entirely.

For pub-specific finance routes including UK Growth Guarantee Scheme options, see are there options backed by the UK Growth Guarantee Scheme for eligible pubs. For lender comparison, our Capify review covers the merchant cash advance route most pubs use against card-machine takings.