The operator recently reported a 45% increase in revenue to £42.9m for the year to 29 March 2026, alongside a 56% rise in pub-level EBITDA profitability, following another year of expansion and investment across its estate.
Join our new WhatsApp channel: The Morning Round-Up
Get the biggest pub trade stories straight to your phone. Listen to our one-minute daily news briefing and receive breaking news, exclusives and sector updates throughout the day. Remember to turn notifications on in the top right corner! Join the channel here.
Speaking to MCA, Valiant co-founders Mark McGinty, CEO, and Gerry Carroll, executive chairman, said one of the biggest drivers of the company’s evolution has been a move away from the wet-led model they originally envisioned when launching the business in 2021.
Broader offer
Drawing on their experience at Hawthorn Leisure, the pair initially expected Valiant to focus heavily on community wet-led pubs operated through its operator-managed model.
However, the group’s first acquisition package included sites with food and accommodation, prompting the group to broaden its offer much earlier than expected.
“We were forced to pivot, but it’s been the best forced pivot we’ve ever had,” said McGinty.
Growth strategy
According to Carroll, that flexibility has since become central to the company’s growth strategy.
“Quite often it’s about simply listening to what people want,” he said.
The group takes a flexible, localised approach, assessing each premise and considering what style of pub and offering is likely to work best for that particular community.
“Then we can match that, as opposed to having a brand we’re going to shoehorn in and hope it works.”
Today, Valiant operates a mix of community locals, food-led pubs and sites with accommodation, tailoring each venue’s proposition to local demand.
- This story originally appeared in The Morning Advertiser’s sister publication MCA. Read the full story here.
