Pub and Beer Group Unveils Record-Breaking Year with Managed Pub EBITDA Jump of 23%
Pub operator and brewer BUTCOMBE GROUP, led by CEO Jonathan Lawson and backed by Caledonia Private Capital, has unveiled financial results for the year to the end of January, revealing an exceptionally strong period for the group.
Highlights for the 53 weeks to 31 January 2026 include:
• Underlying Group EBITDA of £15m, with a growth of 9.1% versus last year
• A managed pub EBITDA-jump of 23%, with LFL sales up 8%
• UK Butcombe Pubs & Inns delivered 9.7% LFL growth, with Boutique Inns delivering 12.5% LFL growth
• UK brewing and drinks sales up 5%; EBITDA up 3%
• Winner of The Publican Awards Best Pub Employer 2026 and recognised in The Sunday Times Best Places To Work 2026
Commenting on the performance, Jonathan Lawson, CEO of Butcombe Group, said: “We are very pleased to share these results, which graphically illustrates a strong year with all areas of our business contributing. First and foremost, this performance is only possible due to the considerable and concerted efforts of our amazing people, and I’d like to express my sincere thanks to all of them.
“The 12-month period to the end of January 2026 was a very strong year for Butcombe Group. The growth that we delivered was all-the-more impressive, in that it followed a prior year of significant growth and momentum for the business.
“We continue to build a leading, premium pubs and boutique inns business, allied to a first-class beer, brands and drinks operation, all underpinned by operational excellence, innovation and strategic investment, with strong momentum as we head into our new financial year.”
The 70-strong managed pub and inns have been the group’s stand-out performer, the company said, with sector-leading like-for-like growth of 8%, including drink at 10.1%, food at 6.5% and accommodation at 5.3% LFL. In addition, we have delivered improved gross margins, reduced labour-to-sales ratios and realised a significant improvement in EBITDA margin.
Adding that the 48-strong tenanted pub division has performed resiliently in a mature market and we continue to invest in these businesses, which are located primarily on the Channel Islands. Most recently, we completed a major investment at The Blue Note in St Helier, Jersey, with our long-term partners there, and are delighted with the results.
Trading in the first quarter of the current financial year has been strong and very much in line with our expectations. We remain in good like-for-like growth across our business, against strong comparatives in Q1 last year of 10.3%. In our first quarter of the year, our managed pubs have delivered LFL growth of 3.6% with 3.7% growth on food, 3.1% on drink and 5.8% accommodation. Looking at accommodation, we have achieved occupancy of 74% which was up 1.6% on last year and our Butcombe Boutique Inns specifically have seen 5.2% growth LFL and an uplift of 2.7% in occupancy.