Pub People ramps up wet-led investment as acquisition hunt resumes
Pub People Company is increasing its focus on drinks led investment, competitive socialising and acquisitions as it looks to strengthen returns across its near 40 strong estate.
Managed Groups
Urban Pubs & Bars invests £1m in third Bat & Ball capital venue
Urban Pubs & Bars has invested £1m into the opening of its third Bat & Ball venue in London.
Blind Tiger Inns celebrates success at third annual awards night
Multiple operator Blind Tiger Inns honoured achievements and reinforced its investment in team appreciation at its third annual Tiger Awards.
NEOS: ‘It’s been a transformational year’
CEO Russell Quelch says the group’s programme of site conversions is driving significant returns with recent relaunches in Bristol and Southampton leading to revenue increases of up to 500%.
PROPERTY ROUND-UP
PROPERTY: Inside Loungers first international site in Germany
This property round-up includes updates from Loungers, Flight Club, Young’s, Castle Pubs, and more.
Flight Club to open 17th venue as UK expansion continues
Flight Club will open its 17th site in Exeter on 11 December.
Chestnut strengthens balance sheet after loan note conversion and equity raise
Chief executive Philip Turner said the group was now in a “much more robust” position than when its latest accounts were signed in May, after completing or nearing completion on the measures referenced in those accounts.
Gavin George takes senior board roles at Wells & Co and Chickpea Group
Former Laine Pub & Brewing Company chief executive Gavin George has taken senior board roles at two pub groups.
Amber Taverns invests six figures in Alloa pub
Amber Taverns has completed a six-figure investment in the Thistle in Alloa, Scotland, creating 15 new jobs.
Amber Taverns invests seven figures in new Salisbury pub
Amber Taverns has invested a seven-figure sum in its first Wiltshire pub ahead of its opening this month.
JDW sales top £2bn but rising costs hit profits
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has reported a 28% fall in underlying pre-tax profit despite sales rising above £2.2bn, as wage, repair and business rates costs weighed on the pub giant.
‘Record after record’: Shepherd Neame hails strong summer pub trade
Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame said the brewer and pub operator had seen “very, very strong” performance from its pubs, despite pressure in Brewing and Brands.
‘Outstanding performance’: Young’s raises full-year expectations
Young’s has said full-year trading is expected to be ahead of market expectations after a strong first half boosted by warm weather and major sport.
PROPERTY: Individual Restaurants moves into pubs with new venture
This property round-up includes mentions from Star Pubs, NEOS, Nancy Spains, Punch and more.
Chickpea Group appoints Gavin George as chair
South West pub operator Chickpea Group has appointed former Laine Pub Company chief executive and co-founder Gavin George as chair, as the business gears up for its next phase of growth.
XP Factory offloads Boom Battle Bar
XP Factory has offloaded its Boom Battle Bar brand, saying it will focus exclusively on the continued growth of its Escape Hunt concept.
Amber Taverns eyes first M25 pub as expansion drive continues
Amber Taverns is set to continue its expansion drive and is eyeing its first site within the M25 after opening 16 pubs in its 2026 financial year (FY26).
Brewhouse & Kitchen sells two pubs to Trust Inns
Brewhouse & Kitchen has sold two freehold pubs on the south coast to Trust Inns, as it focuses on locations aligned with its longer-term plans.
Pubs over the years: What were the news stories shaping the sector in September 5, 10 and 15 years ago?
We take a look back at the biggest stories that were affecting the sector in September 2011, 2016 and 2021.
Inn Collection Group grows estate to 30 sites as revenue tops £81m
The Inn Collection Group increased its estate to 30 sites and 1,350 rooms during 2025 as the pubs-with-rooms operator continued to invest in acquisitions, refurbishments and future expansion plans.
Hydes turnover rises to £41.2m but costs weigh on profit
Hydes Brewery has reported a small rise in turnover, but said higher costs continued to put pressure on profit.
Butcombe invests £750k as weddings revenue rises 37%
Butcombe Group has invested £750,000 in a new wedding and events venue at the Methuen Arms in Corsham, Wiltshire.
Red Oak Taverns acquires 18th century village pub
Red Oak Taverns has acquired the Blue Bell Inn, an 18th century wet-led community pub in Gretton, Northamptonshire.
Pub sales soften after World Cup boost
Pub sales softened in August after the end of the men’s football World Cup, despite managed hospitality groups recording a fourth consecutive month of growth.
Red Oak Taverns turnover rises to record £25.5m
Red Oak Taverns reported record turnover in 2025 after what the pub operator described as a year of consolidation.
JDW opens new airport pub after multi-million pound investment
Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is opening its latest airport pub after spending £3.5m developing it.
PROPERTY: Shepherd Neame to launch new London bar
This property round-up includes updates from Shepherd Neame, Loungers, Joseph Holt and more.
Amber Taverns targets 25 pub acquisitions a year under new CEO
Amber Taverns chairman James Baer has said new CEO Richard Lewis will seek to accelerate pub acquisitions to as many as 25 pubs a year but insists quality must not be compromised.
Vagabond secures former Browns site for Brighton launch
Wine bar operator Vagabond is set to open its first site outside London for five years.
NEOS to convert Leeds Revolución de Cuba into 7th Barbara’s Bier Haus
NEOS Hospitality is converting another of its Revolución de Cuba Site into a Barbara’s Bier Haus.
Shep Neame closes Mayfair’s oldest surviving pub for refurb
Brewer and pubs operator Shepherd Neame has closed its Coach & Horses site in Mayfair, London, for a major refurbishment costing £280k.
Butcombe CEO warns Gov sector is ‘not a cash cow’ after sales rise
Butcombe Group CEO Jonathan Lawson has reminded the Government the sector is “not a cash cow” after reporting a 5.2% lift in like-for-like (lfl) sales for its first half year results.
BrewDog adds $51.1m to Tilray’s Q4 revenue
BrewDog contributed more than $50m (£38.5m) to new owner Tilray Brands’ revenues and has been cited as a major future growth driver.
Pub market to hit £24.7bn despite seven closures a week
The UK pub and bar market is forecast to grow 2% to £24.7bn this year, despite continued outlet decline, according to new Lumina Intelligence data.
ETM Group’s sports bars enjoy 72.4% sales boost
Bar and restaurant operator ETM Group has reported sales rose by a whopping 72.4% during the World Cup at its Sport London bars.
NEOS to reopen Rev de Cuba site as Bonnie Rogues in £1m revamp
NEOS Hospitality will reopen its former Revolución de Cuba site in Birmingham city centre as a Bonnie Rogues in September after a £1m renovation.
JDW to open 10th airport pub after £3.5m development
Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is opening its third venue at Heathrow.
JDW ‘delighted’ to open pub at University of Surrey
Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has confirmed the opening dates for its latest site at a university.
Loungers to open first overseas site under new brand Southville
Loungers is set unveil its first international site under the new brand ‘Southville’ in October.
How ‘controlled fun’ is impacting the Scottish hospitality scene
Strict licensing laws and changing consumer habits are meaning Scotland’s on-trade is being impacted by ‘controlled fun’, one operator has highlighted.
Multimillion-pound acquisition play drives record profits at McMullen
McMullen has reported record sales for the year to 27 September 2025, driven by £25m of acquisition investment over the past two years.
Highest and lowest ranking pubcos unveiled
Admiral Taverns has been named as the most highly rated pubco in the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s (PCA) 2026 Tied Tenant Survey.
M&B to acquire small package of Whitbread sites
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is to acquire a seven-strong package of sites from Whitbread, which will be converted to either Miller & Carter or Toby Carvery.
Butcombe announces leadership restructure
Butcombe Group has announced strategic changes to its leadership structure, appointing Alice Bowyer as managing director of its managed division.
Heartwood: ‘We’ve got too much data’
Heartwood Collection IT director Rob Trippett has warned there’s a danger the amount of data available to hospitality operators right now can lead to businesses having too many KPIs.
Multiple operator to open ‘proper east end destination’ pub
The team behind London venues the Somerstown Coffee House, the Victoria and Faber is marking its 20th anniversary with a new site.
Incipio Group confirms June opening for four new concepts at Olympia
Incipio Group has confirmed it will open multiple new hospitality concepts at London’s Olympia development on 15 June, joining Des Gunewardena’s recently opened Pillar Hall.
JDW to open new university pub
Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has confirmed its new pub at Birmingham University, Joe’s, will open later this month.
JDW hits back at Ryanair chief’s call for drink limit at airports
Pub behemoth JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has said a two-drink limit for passengers using airport hospitality venues would be “extraordinarily difficult to implement.
Heineken UK & Beavertown head office reshuffle
Heineken UK has announced a trio of changes to its on-trade senior leadership team and Beavertown Brewery.