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Story of the Day - 10 February 2026

Butcombe reports like-for-like sales up 9.7% across managed estate driven by accommodation and London sites

Butcombe Group, formerly Liberation Group, has reported a 9.7% increase in like-for-like sales across its managed pub estate for the year to 31 January 2026, driven by accommodation and its London sites, and boosted by a record festive trading period. The Jonathan Lawson-led business, which operates 118 pubs and inns, reported 12.5% like-for-like growth across its Butcombe Boutique Inns during the year, while its London pubs reported 11.6% like-for-like growth during the period.

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Propel’s definitive guide to the UK’s largest hospitality companies
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Propel Exclusive Report

Propel's Experiential Leisure Report is available now

500 Report +

Propel 500 is back for the second year. It brings together the top 500 players shaping the industry, offering not only comprehensive listings but also deep insights into the forces driving growth, innovation, and transformation across the sector.

Propel 500 provides critical insights into the companies leading the charge in hospitality, including turnover, number of sites, key staff, and more.

The 45,000-word report also includes exclusive analysis providing a full understanding of the market’s dynamics, as the top companies in the sector shift position after a challenging year. Mark Wingett reviews the mergers and acquisitions changing the shape of the Top 500 as size increasingly matters. Katherine Doggrell examines the key developments in UK hotels and looks into one of the sector’s brightest lights; experiential leisure. Tim Street dissects the UK’s rapidly developing franchise market. Data expert Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, looks at emerging growth sectors, and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vanifatova analyses the latest trends in the quick service restaurant market.

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Propel’s 500 Report is available to Premium Club members for free.

To sign up to Premium Club email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com

In-depth insight into the UK hospitality market: two essential reports from Propel
Further reports available from Propel include: The International Brands report, featuring the 100 leading international brands in UK hospitality by site number, is available to order now. This comprehensive 30,000-word report covers company histories, leadership structures, site numbers and turnover figures – an essential resource for industry professionals. The top 100 features fast-growing brands from major international markets, including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia.
 
The Experiential Leisure Report is exhaustive a report on the fast-growing experiential leisure market. The report profiles the current shape of the experiential leisure market – including brands, estate size, trading type and geographical location and future trends.

10 February 2026

Punch Pubs & Co

Punch reports underlying Ebitda growth, acquires Mash Inn JV

Punch Pubs & Co, the Fortress-backed operator of circa 1,300 community pubs, has reported revenue of £105.1m for the 16 weeks to 30 November 2025 compared to £97.3m in the prior year, and said that both its segments (Leased and Tenanted and Pub Partnerships) delivered like-for-like underlying Ebitda growth during the period. Underlying Ebitda for the pub estates before central costs increased by £1.6m to £39.4m. 

10 February 2026

Sir Tim Martin – ‘self-delusion is no longer tenable when it comes to loss of beer trade’

JD Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin has told Propel the loss of beer trade is now so stark that “self-delusion is no longer tenable” as he urged the sector to get behind Reform’s proposals that in effect offer tax parity with supermarkets. As part of a five-point plan, Reform would reduce beer duty by 10% from its current 49p and cut the current 20% rate of VAT in half across the whole hospitality sector. 

10 February 2026

Soho Coffee

Former Soho Coffee co-owner passes away

Chris Copner, former co-owner of Soho Coffee, has passed away. Copner acquired Soho Coffee with business partner Penny Manuel in 2006 and grew it from a four-store business based in the south west of England to a portfolio of more than 40 directly owned and franchised stores with an international footprint.

10 February 2026

Former Bel and The Dragon owners secure £10m of funding for new ‘countryside hangouts’ venture

Joel Cadbury, co-founder of Beaverbrook, the exclusive hotel, spa and golf club in the Surrey Hills near Leatherhead and the former owner of Bel and The Dragon, has secured £10m of funding for his new venture called Mad Swans, which is described as “countryside hangouts for mavericks”. The loan from OakNorth enables further development of the group’s two flagship sites.”

10 February 2026

The Cornish Bakery

Cornish Bakery to make Welsh debut as it unveils six new locations, including largest ever site

Fast-growing independent brand Cornish Bakery is to make its Welsh debut as it unveils six new locations, including its largest ever site. The group’s upcoming opening in Betws-y-Coed, North Wales, in April will not only be Cornish Bakery’s first site in the country, but also the company’s biggest ever bakery. 

10 February 2026

Hotville

Midlands Nashville hot chicken concept Hotville set to open six new sites as it reports record sales

Midlands Nashville hot chicken concept Hotville is set to open six new sites as it reported record sales. Hotville, which currently has five stores in Leicester, Birmingham and Nottingham, enjoyed its highest-ever performing week between Christmas and new year, driven by delivery sales on UberEats.

10 February 2026

Kilderkin

Former TRG duo’s Scottish hospitality group secures sixth venue, eyes further sites as it sees ‘strong’ like-for-like growth

Lomond Leisure Group, led by former The Restaurant Group (TRG) duo Derek Mallon and Chris Thynne, has secured its sixth venue – and is eyeing further sites as it sees “strong” like-for-like growth. The company has acquired the lease of Kilderkin on The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, which is part of the Heineken-owned Star Pubs estate.

10 February 2026

Hospitality Rides

Hospitality Rides sets £500,000 fundraising target as it prepares for Cuba challenge

Hospitality Rides – sister event to Pedalling 2 Pubs and flagship fundraising event for the Licensed Trade Charity and Only A Pavement Away – has set a £500,000 fundraising target as it prepares to take on an epic challenge in Cuba. Led by ride founder and KAM managing director Katy Moses, 30 hospitality industry leaders will take on the annual industry cycle challenge from 18-26 April in a 400km cycle across the Caribbean island.

10 February 2026

Punch

Punch to make multimillion-pound investment in former McMullen’s sites

Punch Pubs & Co, the Fortress-backed operator of circa 1,300 community pubs, is set to make a multimillion-pound investment in the 30 pubs it acquired last week from McMullen’s. The deal saw McMullen’s exit the leased and tenanted sector and saw Punch acquire 27 tenanted pubs and three smaller managed sites for an undisclosed sum.

10 February 2026

Starbucks interior pic

Starbucks hires Martin McTigue as new regional director of operations

Starbucks UK has hired Martin McTigue, formerly of Stonegate Group and Nando’s, as its new regional director of operations. McTigue joins Starbucks UK after almost seven years at Stonegate, including three and a half years as operations director.

9 February 2026

Tim Martin

JD Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin calls on hospitality industry to back political support for tax reform

Wetherspoon founder Sir Tim Martin has called on the hospitality industry to back political support for tax reform  “the best offer any politician has made to the sector in its history”. Sir Tim said: “A few days ago, the leader of the political party that is leading in the latest polls, offered the hospitality industry something many had assumed impossible – in effect, tax parity with supermarkets.”

9 February 2026

Kate Nicholls

UKH chair – the playing field hasn’t been levelled, the chasm has grown disproportionately

Kate Nicholls (pictured), chair of UKHospitality, has said that the “staggering increases” to business rates coming in April could be the “straw that breaks many a camel’s back”. Writing in The Standard, Nicholls said: “In the Labour Party’s manifesto, it committed to level the playing field between the high street and online giants.

February 2026 ~ Premium Club

Premium Club readers to receive all the videos from Restaurant Marketer and Innovator. Propel Premium Club members are to be given access to the entire recording of the 2026 Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Conference. Members will be sent the video presentations on Friday, 13 February, at 9am.
Official welcome and headlines of 2025: James Hacon, managing partner at Think Hospitality.
Understanding value today: Maria Vanifatova, chief executive and founder of Meaningful Vision.
Market movers: who’s winning and why: Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI
Inside the boardroom – growth, marketing and what really matters: The panel features Sara McKennedy, managing director at Coco di Mama, Éadaoin McDonagh, chief operating officer at White Rabbit Projects, Laura Irving, managing director at JKS Restaurants, and Marcel Khan, chief executive at Fulham Shore.
Creating a new category – drinking chocolate: Romy Miller, chief marketing officer at Knoops.
From bowl to brand: scaling Pho: Libby Andrews, marketing director at Pho, talks to Charlotte Mair, founder and managing director at The Fitting Room
The north stars that drive Dishoom: In conversation with Fleet Street Communications chief executive Mark Stretton, co-founder Kavi Thakrar.
Breaking Into Britain: Alexis Melikov, chief executive of Tigermilk.
Fans, not followers: Jordan Graham, founder of Sugar Snap, in conversation with Paul Catterson, director at Orto Pizza, Sam Shephard, founder at Juice Jar, andPeter Coleman, co-founder of Seed
Aqua at 25: stories beyond the view: Marie Guenot, marketing director at Aqua Restaurant Group.
Scaling hospitality marketing without scaling the team: Michael Radley, co-founder at Joli, is joined by Hilary Ansell, marketing consultant and interim marketing director at WasabiHester Mitchell, digital marketing manager at Bleecker Burger, and Tom Patrick, marketing director for Banana Tree and Las Iguanas at Big Table Group. 
Big launch energy: Evie Horsell, head of communications UK & Ireland at Big Mamma Group
Generation Z unlocked: Russell Danks, managing director at Laine Pub Co
Leading with insight – the human side of transformation: Kiran Quinn, group marketing director at RedCat Hospitality
Game on – scaling The Box: Laura Lewis, marketing director at Arc Inspirations.
Pizza with principles: David Tester, head of marketing at Franco Manca, is joined by George Lamb, co-founder of Wildfarmed
Five concepts, one vision — Incipio at Olympia: Rory Graham, marketing and brand director at Incipio Group.
Pubs reimagined: Jayson Perfect, chief operating officer at Butcombe.
What’s Next in Hospitality? The 2026 Playbook: James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality
Feeding the GLP-1 generation: What happens when your customers literally lose their appetite? Katy Moses, managing director at KAM.
Well-being at the centre of socialising. Heleri Rande, partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with Chris Miller, founder at White Rabbit Projects, Loui Blake, co-founder at Long Lane, and Nicci Clarke, marketing and culinary director UK at Sodexo Live!.
Creative spaces, bold moves: Anthony Knight speaks to Tom Kidd, founder of SetList.
When hospitality meets entertainment. Thinking out of the box: Michelle Farrell, chief growth officer at Boxpark.
The neighbourhood effect: Marshall Dallas, Partner at Think Hospitality, speaks with Ankur Wishart, co-founder at Boxcar, and India Filippidis, head of marketing at Boxcar & The Italian Greyhound. 
From discounts to desire – reinventing Bella: Megan Trimble, marketing director at Bella Italia
Refreshing tradition: Laura Plum, marketing and communications director at St Austell Brewery.
Reinventing an Icon — The Prezzo evolution: Mark McCulloch MBE, fractional chief marketing officer at Prezzo Italian.
Building the marketing blueprint: Madeleine Phillips, marketing director at Various Eateries.
Scaling hospitality the right way – what every leader can start doing today: Deborah Jones, senior client success manager at Proinsight, speaks to Michael Farquhar, chief operating officer at ETM Group.
Interactive session: Global recruitment – what employees and employers say: Krishnan Doyle, founder at COREcruitment. 
The multi-concept challenge: Markus Thesleff, founder of Thesleff Group.
Lines around the block — Dave’s Hot Chicken’s digital activation: Peter Critchley, UK chief executive at Trison, is joined by Keyana Mohammadi, head of marketing at Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Beyond the plate – building brands with global impact: Tessa Graham, group brand director at Tashas Group.
 Have a seat at the Bill’s boardroom – how Bill’s turned guests into execs:Olivia Fitzgerald, managing director at 125 Data & Insights, speaks with Tom James, managing director at Bill’s
AI advantage – how smart guest platforms will redefine hospitality marketing: Dan Brookman, chief executive and co-founder of Airship & Toggle
How to think like a behavioural scientist: Daniel Bennett, global head of behavioural science at Ogilvy Consulting: Originality in the age of AI. Heleri Rande, partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with Afroditi Krassa, founding director of Afroditi, and Bob Conwell, managing director at Mr Lyan Studio. Digital marketing for growth. Carey Benn, chief executive at Guestwise, in conversation with Naddy Onions, marketing director at Prezzo ItalianJames Metcalfe, sales and marketing director at Urban Pubs & Bars, and Ewa Turney, senior product lead at Mitchells & Butlers. The Alchemist online – where brand meets technology: Aaron Morgan, head of marketing and Paul Jones, head of IT at The Alchemist.
How data changed everything – a live conversation with Dojo: Jon Knott, head of data projects at Dojo
Cash-strapped luxury – Oliver Cousins, strategy director at Screen Pilot, 
Serving up loyalty – Laura Vana, associate partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with Kat Schofield, sales and marketing director at Permanently Unique Group, Holly Hilton, marketing director at Market Place Food Halls, and Ria Pattni, director of marketing at JKS Restaurants.
Scaling with sanity – Laura Vana, associate partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with Tasos Gaitanos, co-founder at Brother Marcus, Alex Large, co-founder at Brother Marcus, Tommy Giraux, head of restaurant systems at Honest Burgers, and Bjarke Just Nielsen, director at Norrlyst. Aligning technology for real-world impact: Joe Comiskey, digital director at Stonegate Group.
Pricing optimisation – fixing the execution gap. Joel Robinson, chief executive at Openr, in conversation with Toby Herbert, head of IT at Hall & Woodhouse, Sara McKennedy, managing director at Coco di Mama, and Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI.
The Digital Playbook for Scaling Restaurant Brands. Sophie Clarke, UK team lead at Popmenu, in conversation with Charlie Wood-Jones, Co-founder at Cawsburger.
Experiences That Sell – Gifting, Loyalty & New Revenue Streams: Dan Brookman, chief executive at Airship and Toggle.
A cut above – The Butcher’s Club: Mark Warburton, founder of Cow & Sow and Alan Armstrong, fractional marketing director.

By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.

February 2026 ~ Premium Club

Propel 500 is back for the second year. It will bring together the top 500 players shaping the industry, offering not only comprehensive listings but also deep insights into the forces driving growth, innovation, and transformation across the sector. Propel 500 will provide critical insights into the companies leading the charge in hospitality, including turnover, number of sites, key staff, and more. The 45,000-word report will also include exclusive analysis to provide a full understanding of the market’s dynamics, as the top companies in the sector shift position after a challenging year. Mark Wingett will review the mergers and acquisitions changing the shape of the Top 500 as size increasingly matters. Katherine Doggrell will examine the key developments in UK hotels and look into one of the sector’s brightest lights; experiential leisure. Tim Street dissects the UK’s rapidly developing franchise market. Data expert Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, will look at emerging growth sectors, and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vantifatova will analyse the latest trends in the quick service restaurant market.

Propel 500 will be released on Friday, 9 January at 9am and is
£595 plus vat.

Existing Premium Club Members can receive it on Friday, 9 January at 9am for
£395 plus vat.

Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 27 February at 9am.

Pre-order Propel 500 today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com

 

By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.

February 2026 ~ Premium Club

Premium Club Opinion provides weekly insights from industry leaders. In this current edition, Mark Wingett, Propel’s chief operating officer – editorial, looks at changes at the top at Tortilla and Laine Pub Co, and backs Luke Johnson to bounce back. He reviews senior shake-ups at Tortilla and Laine Pub Co, arguing Tortilla’s leadership and board changes mark a necessary strategic reset in a pressured fast-casual market, while praising Laine’s Gen Z-led success under departing MD Russell Danks. He also defends investor Luke Johnson, saying recent setbacks mask long-term impact and resilience. Meanwhile, Propel editorial advisor Katherine Doggrell asks whether when it comes to business rates, the government is more Mr Benn and less detail. She argues that the government approaches business rates with costume-level thinking, not detail. Pub support is dismissed as a “sticking plaster”, while hotels get no relief, only delayed reviews. Flawed valuation methods ignore rising costs, risking huge rate hikes. The sector needs granular reform, not simplistic fixes. Lastly, FutureFoodservice founder Simon Stenning explains why the sector needs to reinvent itself. He says that amid economic noise, hospitality faces prolonged pressure from rising costs, weak government support and squeezed consumer spending, making growth hard-won. Discounting is increasing but risks eroding value. Despite this “new normal”, modest growth is forecast from 2026, improving in 2027, driven by innovation, targeted investment and a need to reinvent hospitality around experience, service and escapism to win consumers back.

By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.

February 2026 ~ Premium Club

READ PREMIUM CLUB'S DIARY FOR INSIDER SECTOR GOSSIP

Mark Wingett’s Premium Club Diary delivers insider sector gossip every week to Premium Club members. In this week’s edition, Loungers continues its steady expansion, opening Pietro Lounge in Ludlow and Deco Lounge on Liverpool’s Bold Street, taking its estate to 268 sites. Each Lounge has a locally inspired name ending in “o”, though Liverpool’s Deco Lounge is the first reused name, recalling the original Bristol site that opened in 2005 and later closed due to size constraints. Also, Franco Manca delivered a standout marketing moment with its January “Map My Pizza Run”, rewarding runners with pizza discounts per kilometre logged. The campaign engaged 110,000 runners covering 660,000km, emphasising human connection over data capture, community goodwill and trust. Meanwhile, McMullen’s sold 30 pubs to Punch Pubs & Co, exiting the tenanted sector after more than a century. The largely freehold estate will receive significant investment, echoing wider consolidation among family brewers. In late-night dining, Hawksmoor joined Jeremy King in encouraging later bookings with its “Steak After Eight” three-course offer, despite earlier evening trade now dominating. Finally, Anthony Knight, formerly of Incipio and Maxwell’s, has taken on a sunnier role as chief executive of Venture Hospitality Group in the Canary Islands, prompting envy—and visit requests—from former colleagues.

By joining Propel Premium Club members get access to essential insight through Propel Opinion pieces from leading industry commentators, plus our industry-leading databases, receive hospitality’s foremost newsletter first, watch vital video content and get event discounts.

9 February 2026

Stack

Leisure venue operator Stack to integrate shopping centre with Northampton venue, latest site generates £1.3m in turnover in first month

Leisure venue operator Stack is planning to integrate a shopping centre with a venue it is developing in Northampton venue, while its latest site, which opened in Newcastle’s Worswick Street in December, generated £1.3m in turnover in first month of operation. Writing in the company’s accounts for the year ending 30 April 2025, director Neil Winch said: “The group opened Stack Worswick Street, Newcastle, in December 2025.”

9 February 2026

Gladwin Brothers

Gladwin Brothers co-founder – ‘it is a big risk moving out of London, bit I do think there is more opportunity

Richard Gladwin, co-founder of the Gladwin Brothers, has told Propel that the group’s upcoming regional debut is “a big risk”, but if it works, he thinks there is an opportunity to do expand more outside London. Last week the business, which Richard founded with his brother Oliver, announced it had secured its first site outside London, and its first with bedrooms – The Black Horse in Amberley, West Sussex.

9 February 2026

7th Heaven

India’s largest bakery franchise lines up pipeline of almost 30 UK sites

India’s largest bakery franchise, 7th Heaven, has lined up a pipeline of almost 30 sites, Propel has learned. Founded in 2011 by Arjun Chugh, 7th Heaven has since grown to more than 350 outlets in India, offering “3D cakes”, cupcakes, macarons, doughnuts, tarts, burgers, pizza, sandwiches and more.

9 February 2026

Farmer J

Farmer J founder – 50 sites feels small now

Jonathan Recanati, founder of Farmer J, the all-day market concept, has revised his thinking on how big the business could eventually grow to – saying “50 (sites) feels small now”. The company, which made its international debut last month with an opening in New York, currently operates 18 sites across London, and Recanati had previously said the vision for the business was to hit a “minimum of 50 sites in the UK”.

9 February 2026

Cupp

Bubble tea brand Cupp secures three new international markets

UK bubble tea brand Cupp has secured three new international markets. Cupp, founded in 2012 in Bristol by Lee Peacock, is currently preparing to open its first international store – in Hyderabad, India – part of an expansion deal for the country signed in March 2025.

9 February 2026

Market Taverns

Market Taverns hires Miles Slade as new MD, strong Christmas trading followed by solid January

Market Taverns, the privately-owned pub company operating 15 sites across London, has hired Miles Slade as its new managing director. Slade spent almost 20 years, from 2000 to 2020, as director of retail operations at JD Wetherspoon, before a year as retail director at Windsor & Eton Brewery.

9 February 2026

YouMeSushi

YouMeSushi reports sales exceed record £19m in 2025

YouMeSushi, the restaurant and takeaway business, has reported record sales in 2025 exceeding £19m – an increase of 14% year on year. Umang Agrawal, head of commercial and technology, said: “We have experienced a record year due to great in-store performance.

9 February 2026

Black Sheep Brewery

Keystone Brewing Group owed circa £15m to creditors

Keystone Brewing Group, owner of Black Sheep Brewery, which was acquired out of administration by Paramount Retail Group, the family-owned business behind Bradford’s Saltaire Brewery, last month, owed more than £15m to creditors. According to the administrator report, the business, which was backed by Breal Capital and included brands such as Purity Brewing Co, Magic Rock Brewing and Fourpure Brewing Co, owed Secure Trust Bank a total of £8.6m and HMRC £3.6m.

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