The period from November 2025 to April 2026 saw a number of major deals take place across pubs, brewing and wider hospitality, with both strategic acquisitions and rescue transactions.
November
At the end of October, London hospitality group Evolv Collection, formerly D&D London, acquired wine bar business Vinoteca in a cash deal.
The acquisition saw Vinoteca’s Farringdon and Bloomberg Arcade sites join the Evolv portfolio, with the group using the deal to support the expansion of its Sartoria restaurant brand. Vinoteca Farringdon was set to be rebranded as Vinoteca di Sartoria, while Vinoteca City was due to be repositioned with a new Mediterranean menu.
Evolv chief executive Martin Williams said the acquisition brought together “two distinguished brands with complementary DNA” and would help introduce the Sartoria concept to new audiences across London.
Also at the end of October, Urban Pubs & Bars acquired Albion & East, adding four all day venues to its London estate.
The deal included Teatro Hall in Ealing, Canova Hall in Brixton, Botanica Hall in Clapham Junction and Serata Hall in the City, with all existing team members transferring across as part of the transaction.
Urban managing director Chris Hill said Albion & East was a business the group had “long admired”, adding the venues shared its focus on design, food and neighbourhood hospitality.
December
In December, JKS Pubs rebranded as Ardent Pub Group after being fully acquired in a private investment round led by founder and managing director Dominic Jacobs and backed by a new American private investor.
The London based pub business, which was established in 2021 as a partnership between Dominic Jacobs and JKS Restaurants, operates the Cadogan Arms in Chelsea, the George in Fitzrovia and the Hound in Chiswick.
Following the deal, the group said the investment would support plans for eight new openings across London and beyond over the next three to five years.
January
January saw NEOS Hospitality double the size of its estate after acquiring 20 Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co sites from The Revel Collective through a pre-pack administration deal.
The acquisition expanded NEOS to 40 venues across 22 UK cities and preserved more than 800 jobs.
A separate transaction saw other sites sold to Coral Pub Company, while 21 venues closed after failing to form part of either deal.
NEOS chief executive Russell Quelch said the opportunity aligned with the group’s national expansion strategy.
Later in January, Great British Drinks Company completed a £6.5m rescue deal for Black Sheep Brewery, safeguarding 145 jobs and securing the future of a wider portfolio of regional beer brands.
The newly formed group, backed by the family entrepreneurs behind Paramount Retail Group, said the deal was part of a long-term strategy to protect and rebuild iconic British breweries.
Alongside Black Sheep, the transaction also secured brands including Purity Brewing Co, Brew By Numbers, Brick Brewery, North Brewing Company, Magic Rock Brewing and Fourpure Brewing Co.
March
March brought one of the biggest and most high-profile deals of the period, with Tilray completing a £33m acquisition of the BrewDog brand and certain strategic assets.
The agreement handed Tilray ownership of the BrewDog brand and intellectual property, its UK brewing operations, and 11 brewpubs in the UK and Ireland. The transaction preserved 733 UK jobs, although 38 bars in the UK closed immediately, resulting in 484 redundancies.
Tilray chief executive Irwin D. Simon said BrewDog was “one of the most iconic, mission driven craft beer brands in the UK” and said the company’s priority would be to refocus the brand on craft beer excellence and return it to profitable growth.
Also in March, C&C Group acquired the Innis & Gunn beer brand and its global intellectual property from administrators for £4.5m.
C&C, which had already been a minority shareholder and brewing partner, said the deal offered an attractive opportunity to broaden its premium branded portfolio. The business said the acquisition would carry low execution risk due to existing brewing and route to market infrastructure.
Chief executive Roger White described the purchase as a “compelling and highly synergistic opportunity”, while Innis & Gunn founder Dougal Gunn Sharp called it “a very difficult day” and expressed sadness for staff and shareholders affected by the process.
March also saw Various Eateries move into the premium pubs with rooms market through the acquisition of a portfolio from Grosvenor Pubs and Inns.
The owner of Coppa Club and Noci agreed to acquire four sites, with terms also agreed on a potential fifth, as it launched a new brand, The Linwood Collection. The initial deal covered Wild Thyme & Honey in the Cotswolds, The Hare & Hounds in Berkshire, The Stag on the River in Surrey and The Wellington Arms in Hampshire.
The acquisition valued the four sites at £11.25m and was backed by a new £15m facility with HSBC. Based on unaudited figures, the sites generated combined revenue of about £10.5m in the 52 weeks to 28 December 2025.
Chief executive Mark Loughborough said premium pubs with rooms offered resilience and attractive economics, adding the group’s priority would be to protect what customers already loved about the sites and build from there.
April
In April, Young’s agreed to acquire west London operator Cubitt House in a deal that further strengthened its position in the capital.
The acquisition included eight existing sites across Mayfair, Chelsea, Marylebone, Belgravia and Notting Hill, as well as a ninth pub in Belgravia that is currently being developed. Young’s said the purchase would be funded from existing banking facilities and was expected to complete on 22 April 2026.
Chief executive Simon Dodd said the collection of premium pubs and pubs with rooms aligned “perfectly” with the company’s strategy to selectively expand in affluent London neighbourhoods.
The deal followed Young’s earlier comments that it was targeting growth through smaller pub group acquisitions, particularly in London and the West End.
