New Lumina research found pubcos were increasingly segmenting estates around clearer food, sport, community, accommodation and experience led roles, while moving away from expansion based primarily on scale towards estate quality and stronger individual site performance.
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For community focused operators, that means giving individual pubs greater freedom to respond to the people and occasions around them rather than applying the same offer across an entire estate.
Oak Taverns, which was named Best Community Pub Operator at the 2026 Publican Awards, has focused its entire estate around community pubs.
The group’s director Simon Collinson told the Morning Advertiser (MA): “We chose to focus on community pubs as we had noticed over the years of running this business the community pub was the easiest to keep up with the changing landscape of our industry.
“A good example of this was when gin sales blew up a few years ago. We could easily increase the range and quickly look like an expert. The same is happening to the no and low category now.”
All Oak Taverns sites are community pubs, with the business planning to continue acquiring around one freehold community pub a year across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Gloucestershire for the next five years.
Collinson added pubs needed to reflect the communities immediately around them, including through local beer festivals, CAMRA activity and providing space for local groups to meet.
Local knowledge
Admiral Taverns has also continued to grow its community focused Proper Pubs division, which now comprises 239 sites.
Chief executive Chris Jowsey told the MA that the division had played a key role in Admiral’s growth, supported by acquisitions and conversions.
The group invested £8m across Proper Pubs during the past year and plans to invest a further £10m during the next financial year.
“Community pubs play an important role in bringing people together, fostering connection and supporting local economies.
“They are about far more than simply getting a pint; they provide valuable social spaces at the heart of communities across the country.”
That investment is also visible at site level. Across more than 20 Admiral Taverns and Proper Pubs refurbishment projects covered by the MA in recent months, more than £6m has been committed to community pubs.
Investment has repeatedly focused on facilities designed to broaden how locals use the pub, including live sport, darts and pool, beer gardens, entertainment, food, functions and community events.
At the Fairham in Nottingham, Proper Pubs invested £572,832 in what it described as its largest capex project to date, while a £320,000 refurbishment of the Traveller’s Rest in Derby included a 120 capacity function room designed for parties, business events and community gatherings.
Proper Pubs managing director Nathan Wall said the strength of the model came from allowing individual operators to shape pubs around local demand.
“One of the great strengths of community pubs is that no two are the same. Each is shaped by its local area, its customers and the people behind the bar.
“While there are many best practices that we share across the Proper Pubs network, we never want to follow a one size fits all approach.”
He added operators that built strong local relationships were the ones most likely to thrive over the long term.
“Success comes from listening to your locals and being agile enough to adapt as tastes change. While the core of a great pub is timeless, it’s important to evolve to stay relevant.”
Commercial value
Punch Pubs & Co chief executive Andy Spencer also pointed to evidence that stronger community engagement could translate directly into commercial performance.
Recent research carried out by Punch with Northumbria University found socially valuable pubs typically generated turnover almost 30% higher than less engaged counterparts.
“Community pubs are at the heart of our strategy because they sit at the very centre of their communities,” Spencer told the MA. “They are far more than places to enjoy a drink; they provide connection, combat loneliness and support local causes, creating a genuine sense of belonging.”
He said the findings showed publicans that invested time locally could build stronger guest loyalty alongside stronger financial performance.
“That is one of the reasons we continue to invest in and acquire community led pubs. We believe there is a significant opportunity to support great operators and preserve important local assets, helping them flourish for the long term.”
Punch plans to continue investing in and acquiring community pubs where opportunities fit its wider strategy.
Meanwhile, BrewDog is testing whether a more formal version of community involvement can be applied within its own bar estate.
The group reopened its Inverurie site in Scotland under a new Community Champions model following a proposal from residents after the bar initially closed as part of BrewDog’s sale to Tilray.
Under the pilot, BrewDog continues to operate the site while local residents, community groups and its OG Punks are given a voice in shaping events, partnerships and local initiatives.
Chief commercial officer Lauren Carrol said: “It’s about creating venues that reflect the people who use them, making each bar feel unique to its local area rather than following a one size fits all approach.”
The Inverurie site has traded strongly since reopening, according to the group, with BrewDog now using the venue to assess which parts of the model could work elsewhere.
“Success goes beyond sales. Of course, the venue needs to be commercially stable, but equally important is becoming an active part of the local community. If the community feels a genuine sense of ownership, chooses to spend time there regularly and recommends the venue to friends and family, that’s what success looks like for us.”
Carrol added that if the Inverurie pilot proved successful, BrewDog would consider introducing elements of the Community Champions model at other UK bars.
Across the four operators, the approach differs but the principle remains similar: local knowledge is increasingly being treated as part of the pub proposition itself, with operators investing in sites and giving teams greater freedom to respond to the communities around them.
This article forms part of a five part MA series exploring how pub operators are segmenting their estates around accommodation, community, food, sport and experience.
You can read the accommodation feature here, with food, sport and experience to follow later this week.
