The Inspiration for Pub Success Since 1794
The pubs code adjudicator (PCA) has told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) why pub conditions, rent projections and business development manager conduct are central to the investigation into Stonegate.
The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has opened a formal investigation into Stonegate’s treatment of tied tenants.
Stonegate Group has ‘a couple of years of hard work to go’ but its estate will continue to evolve, CEO David McDowall.
Stonegate has reported its strongest first half trading performance in the group’s history, as its shift towards a more partnership led pub model continues to gather pace.
Terra Firma Capital Partners is reportedly among a number of prospective bidders preparing offers for part of Stonegate Group’s Platinum estate.
With today (Thursday 30 April) marking the anniversary of the bombing at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, we asked Stonegate Group about the importance of its LGBTQ+ venues to the business.
Stonegate’s leased and tenanted division, Pub Partners, completed 160 development projects in the first half of its financial year.
Stonegate Group has said its shift towards a more partnership-led model is improving the resilience of the business, as revenue and profit declined slightly in FY25 but losses narrowed.
Stonegate Group has reported a decline in revenue for the 16 weeks to 18 January, but a boost in profits.
OPINION
The news that Stonegate is considering embarking on a CCCD has been the cause of much discussion.
Stonegate is repositioning a number of Slug & Lettuce and Be At One sites as part of its ongoing estate transformation strategy, with several venues moving into its Pub Partners L&T division.
Valentine’s Day trading in pubs in 2026 continues to evolve, with operators increasingly moving away from a single night, couples only dining model.
Pub operators have continued to deploy capital through acquisitions, refurbishments and managed expansion in early 2026 despite mounting cost pressures.
Pubs are preparing for another year of tight margins and shifting consumer behaviour, but chefs say 2026 will be defined less by novelty trends and more by disciplined creativity, operational clarity and food that justifies its value.
Stonegate has appointed advisers as its looks to streamline its business structure in a bid to soften the impact of tough trading conditions and its £3bn debt.
Stonegate has planned to inject £30m into its Pub Partners estate in 2026 after spending £12m in the first quarter of the financial year.
Craft Union says its community led model is driving sustained trading momentum going into its tenth anniversary year, with like for like sales, profit and volumes all in growth.
Operators from Bristol and the wider region shared a mixture of optimism and realism at a Morning Advertiser roundtable last week, exploring how pubs can sharpen their beer offer in a changing market.
Stonegate has confirmed it is exploring options for its 1,000-strong “Platinum” leased and tenanted estate, following a report in The Sunday Times that Britain’s biggest pub group is preparing a £1bn sell off.
Tenant satisfaction with the UK’s major pub companies varies far more widely than headline figures suggest, according to new company level data released by the pubs code adjudicator (PCA).
Britain’s traditional wet-led pubs appear to be finding a firmer footing after years of decline, driven by changes in consumer behaviour and smarter operator strategies.
Operators across the pub sector are preparing for Halloween 2025 with a mix of themed menus, family events and late-night parties designed to boost footfall over the final weekend of October.
Stonegate Group has appointed Nigel Sherwood as its new managing director of the managed business, succeeding Carol Campbell who joined in 2024 and has stepped down from the role.
Stonegate, the UK’s largest pub company, has announced plans to sell 23 free-of-tie sites as part of a portfolio review.
Stonegate has assured trade will not be impacted at the Famous Three Kings in Fulham, London, despite the freehold being sold for a seven-figure sum.
Stonegate Group has converted 200 of its managed pubs over to leased and tenanted and operator-led models, such as Craft Union, as part of its transformation strategy.
The UK’s biggest pub company Stonegate Group has reported a 90% sales increase in its managed sites during the Women’s Euros final.
An award-winning licensee is exiting one of his pubs citing the “crazy” costs of doing business.
Stonegate has bought the remaining stake in Frontier Pubs, its joint venture with Pioneer Hospitality.
Craft Union managing director Frazer Grimbleby explains how the pub operating model has tripled weekly sales with its seven-days-a-week, daypart-spanning wet-led offer
After more than a decade at the helm, the operators of a West Sussex pub are bidding farewell with two weeks of live music events to mark their departure.
Stonegate has announced plans to cut a number of roles in a bid to reflect the decreasing size of its managed estate and tackle rising costs.
The operators of a Lancashire pub are set to leave the site after 12 months of running it, citing rising costs as a reason why.
Stonegate’s Craft Union arm has marked a decade of business.
The iconic Slug & Lettuce brand turns 40 this month (May).
Stonegate has said it is committed to the future of historic pub the Hole in the Wall in Torquay, Devon, after publican Richard Rossendale-Cook ceased trading.
Stonegate Group has praised the resilience of the great British pub despite the ongoing challenges faced by the hospitality sector.
The UK’s biggest pub company Stonegate Group has launched a new concept that will house 220 pubs.
Stonegate Group’s six-figure investment into Rita’s Beerhall and Ballroom ‘highlights how the business is evolving its brands and formats’, boss David McDowall has said.
The UK’s largest pub company Stonegate Group announced record-breaking figures in its festive trading update.
New openings and a multitude of revamps by Stonegate Group has seen the pubco invest more than £100m into its 4,500-site estate during 2024.
Stonegate opened the new cocktail beerhall themed site in Leeds on Friday 6 December.
The UK’s biggest pub company Stonegate Group has invested £150,000 into two new pub formats within its managed estate.
Stonegate has unveiled plans to give away 3,000 pints of Guinness next month to celebrate the opening of a new sports pub.
The UK’s biggest pub company Stonegate Group has revealed two new ‘significant’ appointments.
Following news Stonegate pumped another six figure sum into rebranding and refreshing its estate last week, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has looked back at the investments made over the past year.
Stonegate boss David McDowall has added his voice to the calls for rates relief ahead of the Government’s budget next week.
Stonegate Group has invested a six-figure sum into a new concept launching in Leeds city centre.
Stonegate Group, the UK’s largest pubco, has launched a new brand to customers through its pub estate called Social Pub & Kitchen.
BIG INTERVIEW
Stonegate CEO and former BrewDog COO David McDowall truly is a working-class lad done good.