Type of ownership of pubs in the UK - Industry data
(06 October 2008 12:36)
Pub companies owned 53% (or 30,400) of the UK’s estimated 57,500 pubs in 2007, according to market research company Market & Business Development (MBD).
The share owned by breweries – which accounted for the majority of outlets in the 1980s – accounted for 16% (or 9,400 venues).
Independent operators owned 31% (or 17,700) of the total number of pubs.
While MDB predicts that pub companies and breweries will increase their share in the four years to 2012 (to 30,533 and 9,417 outlets respectively), it forecasts a 3% decline in independently-owned pubs to 17,121 out of a forecast 57,071 venues.
The UK Public Houses Market Development report is compiled quarterly and annually by Market & Business Development. It costs £600 for a single annual report or £725 for four quarterly reports.
Article continues below
The tables below include some hotels and other premises with full licences and are based on MBD analysis of data from the British Beer and Pub Association and trade estimates.
* represents forecast figures
NUMBER OF BREWERY, PUB COMPANY AND INDEPENDENTLY-OWNED PUBS
YEAR
2001
2002
2003
Brewery-owned
10,100
9,800
8,300
% of total
17%
17%
14%
Pub-company owned
31,600
31,500
32,500
% of total
53%
54%
55%
Independently-owned
17,858
16,665
17,988
% of total
30%
29%
31%
Total
59,558
57,965
58,788
YEAR
2004
2005
2006
Brewery-owned
8,900
9,200
9,400
% of total
15%
15%
16%
Pub-company owned
31,700
31,500
31,000
% of total
53%
53%
53%
Independently-owned
19,073
18,700
17,800
% of total
32%
31%
31%
Total
59,673
58,200
58,250
YEAR
2007
2008*
2012*
Brewery-owned
9,400
9,354
9,417
% of total
16%
Pub-company owned
30,400
29,742
30,533
% of total
53%
Independently-owned
17,700
17,254
17,121
% of total
31%
Total
57,500
56,350
57,071
Pub company-owned pubs refers to ownership of 30 or more outlets Independent pubs refers to ownership of fewer than 30 outlets. Independent pubs are free-of-tie
NUMBER OF BREWERY-OWNED PUBS IN THE UK, BY TYPE OF OWNERSHIP
YEAR
2001
2002
2003
Managed
4,400
4,000
2,500
% of total
44%
41%
30%
Tenanted
5,700
5,800
5,800
% of total
56%
59%
70%
Total
10,100
9,800
8,300
YEAR
2004
2005
2006
Managed
2,700
2,700
2,700
% of total
30%
29%
29%
Tenanted
6,200
6,500
6,700
% of total
70%
71%
71%
Total
8,900
9,200
9,400
YEAR
2007
Managed
2,500
% of total
27%
Tenanted
6,900
% of total
73%
Total
9,400
Premises owned by independent pub companies are excluded
NUMBER OF PUB COMPANY-OWNED PUBS IN THE UK, BY TYPE OF OWNERSHIP
YEAR
2001
2002
2003
Managed
8,300
7,700
8,800
% of total
26%
24%
27%
Tenanted
23,300
23,800
23,700
%of total
74%
76%
73%
Total
31,600
31,500
32,500
YEAR
2004
2005
2006
Managed
8,000
7,700
7,500
% of total
25%
24%
24%
Tenanted
23,700
23,800
23,500
% of total
75%
76%
76%
Total
31,700
31,500
31,000
YEAR
2007
Managed
6,500
% of total
21%
Tenanted
23,900
% of total
79%
Total
30,400
Premises owned by independent pub companies are excluded
