Urban Pubs & Bars Christmas trading success
Urban Pubs & Bars, London’s largest independent pub company, comprising 66 sites, is delighted to announce its strongest Christmas trading performance on record, capping off an exceptional 2025 for the group.
Trading throughout December was significantly ahead of last year, with excellent like-for-like sales growth of 14.5% and a 40% increase in total covers.
Chris Hill, managing director of Urban Pubs & Bars, said: “We’ve delivered our best Christmas ever. The energy across the business continues to be fantastic, and this performance is a huge credit to our teams. Finishing the year so strongly puts us in a brilliant position as we head into the new year.”
The record-breaking festive period builds on a year of sustained growth for Urban Pubs & Bars, supported by continued investment, an expanding portfolio, and a relentless focus on creating welcoming, high-quality neighbourhood pubs, bars, and restaurants
This week, it was announced that Urban Pubs & Bars had acquired The Birdcage in East London from BrewDog, marking its sixth acquisition of 2026.
The acquisition follows the recent completion of five premium hospitality venues in January, including The Prince Regent in Herne Hill and a package of four established sites from Brunning & Price.
The Brunning & Price venues comprise The Roebuck and The Steam Packet in Chiswick, The Queens in Crouch End, and Coco Momo in Kensington.
These recent deals follow the acquisition of Albion and East late in 2025 and represent another significant step in Urban Pubs & Bars’ targeted expansion strategy, as it continues to outperform the wider UK hospitality market.
Founded by Malc Heap and Nick Pring, Urban Pubs & Bars is backed by Davidson Kempner and Global Mutual. Known for its innovative and customer-focused approach, Urban Pubs & Bars is dedicated to creating distinctive venues that celebrate London’s diverse food, drink, and social culture.