Urban Pubs & Bars posts record EBITDA

Urban Pubs & Bars has posted record EBITDA of £23m in the year to January 2026.

This was an increase of £5m on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation recorded in its full-year results for the 52-week period ended 27 April 2025.

During the five-week period to 4 January 2026, the London-based pub group was also boosted by like-for-like sales growth of 14.5% and a 40% increase in total covers.

Meanwhile, in its full-year results to April 2025, Urban Pubs & Bars posted a profit before tax of £1.7m, up from £656,000 the previous year.

It also achieved turnover of £39.1m, a 32.6% increase on last year’s £29.5m, which it attributed to the opening of a further seven sites.

Filings on Companies House stated the business believes it is “well placed” for expansion as a result of its healthy balance sheet and shared intentions of building out the portfolio from “good sites in London”.

The directors conceded there had been added pressures on employment costs from the increases to the National Living Wage and that the recent levels of high inflation have been “unhelpful”, though the rate is beginning to fall.

They added: “We continually monitor consumer demand through like for like sales benchmarking and at present trading conditions continue to be normal which is the benefit of operating an estate of high-quality pubs in central London.”

Chris Hill, managing director of Urban Pubs & Bars, added: “Delivering over £20m of site EBITDA in the last 12 months is a major milestone for Urban. Our record Christmas trading and latest figures reflect the quality of our estate and the strength of our teams. The momentum we have going into 2026 is exceptionally strong.”

Urban Pubs & Bars operates 66 sites across London and delivered its strongest-ever Christmas trading period to date.

Last month, the group completed its sixth acquisition of 2026 with the purchase of the Birdcage in East London from BrewDog, following its acquisition of five premium pubs, including the Prince Regent in Herne Hill, alongside a package of four sites from Brunning & Price.

In October 2025, the group also purchased the Albion & East business, which saw the addition of four London venues: Teatro Hall in Ealing, Canova Hall in Brixton, Botanica Hall in Clapham Junction and Serata Hall in the City of London.

And in 2024, it purchased 11 former Antic hospitality group pubs, including Balham Bowls Club, out of administration.

Urban Pubs & Bars was founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring in 2014 and has been backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual since 2021.