Just a week after Spirit Pub Company was named in the Sunday Times’ Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work For, the newest leased and tenanted pub company in the sector, Spirit Leased Pubs, has recorded a four-fold increase in licensee applications.

The sharp increase in applications for Spirit Leased Pubs has been tracked over the opening three months of 2014, with the boost attributed to the company’s flexible and innovative approach to agreements and its commitment to on-site training for the whole team. As a result of the rise in applicants, the company now finds itself receiving multiple applications for its pubs across the board.

Multiple operator Sean Flynn, of London Metropolitan Taverns Limited, has taken on four Spirit Leased sites in the last 12 months. He said: “It’s no surprise that Spirit Leased Pubs are experiencing such a boost in applications. Their partnerships with operators and investment into sites truly set them aside from other pub companies. They are a privilege to work with.”

Chris Welham, managing director of Spirit Leased Pubs, said: “I’ve no doubt that the sharp uptake in applications is down to the reputation we’ve built for developing with our licensees innovative and flexible agreements. Given the hard work going in to our In Pub training and menu and food packages, this trend is only going to continue.”