Speaking at the group’s Brewpoint flagship brewery, Wells, the great, great grandson of founder Charles Wells, said the milestone is a moment to reflect on “the ability of the business to adapt… and use creativity and flexibility to respond to the challenges ahead”.
Defining chapters
Founded in 1876, Wells & Co has evolved through several defining chapters, from brewing Red Stripe under licence in the 1970s to launching its first pub in France in 1995 and opening Brewpoint, its 30,000 hectolitre craft brewery, in 2020.
Today, the business operates 28 managed pubs in the UK, 19 in France and supports around 130 leased and tenanted operators.
That diversified model provides balance, particularly in today’s volatile trading environment.
‘We have the best people’
“Pub operators are carrying more than our fair share of the burden,” Wells said of rising labour, energy and regulatory costs, but added that much remains within operators’ control. “We have to have the very best people running our pubs.”
Investment in training and continuous market research underpins the strategy. Wells said consumer demand is increasingly split between two motivations.
“People either want to go to a pub to be entertained, or they want to go to be comforted.” As a result, the group is tailoring offers pub by pub, from live music, quizzes and electronic darts to menus designed to deliver familiarity and reassurance.
The anniversary year also marks a renewed focus on brewing heritage, with the launch of Double Star Bedford Bitter, its first permanent cask ale since 2017.
Looking ahead, Wells described Government approval of a Universal theme park in Bedford as a “transformative opportunity” for the town.
For Wells & Co, the challenge now is to reset, invest and ensure it is well placed to capture that growth.
