A pub is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private houses from those open to the public as alehouses, taverns and inns. Today, there is no strict definition, but CAMRA states a pub has four characteristics:
- is open to the public without membership or residency
- serves draught beer or cider without requiring food be consumed
- has at least one indoor area not laid out for meals
- allows drinks to be bought at a bar
John Smith's Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, produces beers including John Smith's, the highest selling bitter in the United Kingdom since the mid-1990s.
Strongbow is a dry cider produced by H. P. Bulmer in the United Kingdom since 1960. Strongbow is the world's leading cider with a 15 per cent volume share of the global cider market and a 29 per cent volume share of the UK cider market. Bulmer's is a subsidiary of Heineken N.V., the multinational Dutch brewer who also own the sustainable cider brand Inch's.
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a brewing company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, which expanded from its home base to become an international business with beer volumes growing almost tenfold.
Brains is a regional brewery based in Cardiff, Wales. It was founded in 1882 by Samuel Arthur Brain. At its peak, the company controlled more than 250 pubs in South Wales, Mid Wales and the West Country but the brewer sold most of its pub estate in 2022. The company took over Crown Buckley Brewery in Llanelli in 1997 and Hancock's Brewery in 1999. In 2000, Brains moved to the former Hancock's Brewery just south of Cardiff Central railway station. The Old Brewery, in Cardiff city centre, has been developed into a modern bar and restaurant complex.
C&C Group plc is an Irish manufacturer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic drinks, particularly cider, and soft drinks. It has production facilities across Ireland, Great Britain and the United States, and its products are sold around the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Punch Pubs & Co is a pub and bar operator in the United Kingdom, with around 1,300 leased pubs. It is headquartered in the traditional brewing centre of Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange as a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index until its sale in 2016 for £403 million to a private equity fund, Patron Capital, acting in concert with Heineken International who acquired 1,900 of Punch's pubs as part of the deal.
Patron Capital Partners ("Patron") is a European private equity real estate fund with its main investment advisor, Patron Capital Advisers LLP based in London, United Kingdom. Patron Capital Partners represents approximately €4.0 billion of equity across several funds and related co-investments.
J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd is a brewery and pub company in Middleton, Greater Manchester, that has produced real ale since 1828. The brewery owns and operates 150 pubs, inns and hotels mainly in North West England and North Wales. It also owns wine distributor Willoughby's.
Camerons Brewery is an English brewery established by John William Cameron in Stranton, Hartlepool, County Durham, in 1865. It is the largest independent brewer in the North East of England, with a brewery capacity of 1.5 million hectolitres and a tied estate of 75 houses. It is one of the oldest industrial concerns in Hartlepool, and has historically been one of the largest employers.
Matthew Clark is a United Kingdom-based drinks distributor, owned by C&C Group. Founded in 1810, the business primarily serves public houses, restaurants, bars and hotels within the mainland UK.
Excellion Capital is a boutique real estate investment firm headquartered in London. The firm focusses on real estate and asset-backed investments.
Marston's plc is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Marston's disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Carlsberg Group to create the Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC), in which Marston's plc holds a 40% share.
The Scotsman Group is a Scottish hospitality and leisure operator based in Glasgow, Scotland. It is run by its founder Stefan King. The company operates more than 50 venues in cities all over Scotland, most notably in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Food & Fuel Pubs was a small, independent gastropub and cafe bar chain in London. The firm was established in June 2006, when it bought five pubs from Punch Taverns. It ran eleven sites in Central and West London, including Richmond, Chiswick, Pimlico, Marylebone, Kensington and Chelsea.
The Pubs Code etc. Regulations 2016 were introduced by the UK Government as part of the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015. The code was passed on 14 June 2016 and implemented on 21 July 2016.
Star Pubs & Bars is the pub arm of Heineken UK, the UK subsidiary of Dutch brewing giant Heineken. Heineken acquired the pubs as a result of its takeover of Scottish & Newcastle in a joint purchase with Carlsberg in 2008. As of 2024, the company currently runs around 2,400 pubs in the UK.
The Hare & Hounds is a public house and music venue on the High Street in the Kings Heath area of Birmingham, England. Originally built in 1820 and remodelled to its current form in 1907, the Hare & Hounds is Grade II listed, as it retains many original Art Nouveau internal fixtures.
Lesaka Technologies is a South-African financial technology company that is listed on the NASDAQ and Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Lesaka’s primary focus is on financial inclusion, offering financial services to previously underserved communities and merchants.
