The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant

What The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant does

The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant is a privately-held UK hospitality chain founded in 2009 and headquartered in Knutsford, operating a multi-venue portfolio of theatrical cocktail bars and restaurants across UK cities including London (Victoria), Leeds and additional urban locations. Its core proposition centers on creative, 'rare substance' cocktails crafted by trained mixologists branded as 'mystic acolytes' alongside all-day dining menus, with the cocktail experience explicitly positioned as theatrical and experiential rather than commodity bar service.

The company's revenue model is diversified across five streams: on-premise food and beverage sales at physical venues, online retail of branded merchandise (glassware, shakers, ready-to-drink cocktails, recipe books, artwork prints), gift card sales, experience-led bookings (cocktail masterclasses, private events, graduation bookings, bottomless brunch), and home delivery through a Deliveroo partnership. Distribution mixes owned physical venues and an owned e-commerce storefront with third-party reservation (OpenTable), event-booking (Designmynight), and delivery (Deliveroo) channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is transaction-based for venue bookings, with quote-based pricing for events and private hire.

Commercially the group targets a horizontal consumer segment — adults 25–45 seeking elevated, Instagram-shareable cocktail experiences plus a secondary group-events use case for celebrations and corporate bookings. Underlying technology is intentionally thin and undifferentiated: the company runs a standard marketing-and-analytics stack (Google Analytics, Hotjar, Meta/TikTok/Pinterest/YouTube pixels) and integrates off-the-shelf booking and delivery platforms rather than operating any proprietary core technology. A £21.6M facility from Santander UK in January 2018 is the only disclosed capital event, with no subsequent funding, M&A, or public listing activity documented.

Name

The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant

Legal name

The Alchemist

Website

https://thealchemist.uk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant is a UK-based, multi-venue bar and dining chain (founded 2009) that operates experiential cocktail bars and restaurants in cities including London and Leeds, serving adult consumers seeking creative cocktails, all-day dining, group events, and branded merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bar & Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Cocktail bars
• Bar restaurant
• Casual dining
• Mixology experiences
• Cocktail masterclass

Headquarters

HQ city

Knutsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. On-premise dining and bar sales: Revenue generated from food and beverage sales at physical restaurant venues including creative cocktails and all-day dining menus.
2. E-commerce and retail products: Online shop selling merchandise including glassware, cocktail shakers, ready-to-drink cocktails, recipe books, and artwork prints.
3. Gift cards: Sale of gift cards for use at venues, providing upfront cash flow and driving future customer visits.
4. Experiences and events: Revenue from cocktail masterclasses, private events, and special experience bookings.
5. Delivery and takeaway: Food and cocktail delivery services through Deliveroo platform partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Alchemist is a UK bar and restaurant chain that runs multiple physical venues offering creative cocktails (with theatrical presentation), an all-day food menu, and bookable experiences including bottomless brunch, cocktail masterclasses, and graduation/private events. It also sells branded merchandise (glassware, cocktail shakers, ready-to-drink cocktails, recipe books, artwork prints) and gift cards via its own e-commerce shop, and offers delivery through Deliveroo.

Product overview

The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant is a UK-based bar and dining chain offering a portfolio of hospitality experiences. The core offerings include creative cocktails and all-day dining served across multiple venues, supplemented by special experiences like Bottomless Brunch, Cocktail Masterclasses, and Graduation Bookings. The business extends its brand through an e-commerce shop selling merchandise including specialty glassware, cocktail shakers, ready-to-drink cocktails, recipe books, and artwork prints. Gift cards provide another revenue stream, allowing recipients to experience the brand at any venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creative Cocktails & All-Day Dining Signature cocktails and an all-day food menu served at the chain's UK bar and restaurant venues for walk-in and booked guests.
• Bottomless Brunch Limited-time brunch experience offering unlimited drinks alongside the food menu at The Alchemist venues.
• Cocktail Masterclass Bookable group experience where guests learn to make and serve theatrical cocktails alongside The Alchemist's mixologists.
• Graduation Bookings Special-event booking package for graduates and their groups to celebrate at The Alchemist venues.
• The Alchemist Gift Cards Prepaid cards redeemable at any Alchemist venue, available for purchase through the company's own channels.
• Specialty Glassware Branded specialty glassware (including lightbulb-shaped glasses) sold through The Alchemist's online shop for home bar use.
• Cocktail Shakers Professional cocktail shakers sold through The Alchemist's online shop for home cocktail-making.
• Ready-To-Drink Cocktails Pre-mixed signature cocktails (e.g., Dead Red Zombie) sold through The Alchemist's online shop for off-premise consumption.
• Cocktail Recipe Book Cocktail recipe book sold through The Alchemist's online shop, enabling customers to recreate signature drinks at home.
• Artwork Prints Branded artwork prints (including legal-themed prints) sold through The Alchemist's online shop as branded home and gift décor.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DeliveroominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order food and cocktails for home delivery through the Deliveroo platform. Cookies from Deliveroo appear on the website for order processing and tracking.
• DesignmynightminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvents booking platform partnership used for venue hire, private events, and experience bookings. Cookies from Designmynight are added during the final booking process.
• OpenTableminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant reservation platform partnership for table bookings. OpenTable cookies are used for booking functionality and session management.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All Bar One: Mitchells & Butlers UK cocktail bar chain with ~50 sites. Comparable to The Alchemist on cocktail-led all-day dining, urban locations, and similar demographic, though positioned more toward mainstream than theatrical/craft.
• Dirty Martini: Premium UK cocktail bar chain operating primarily in London and major cities. Directly comparable to The Alchemist on craft cocktail focus, evening/night-out occasion, and upscale bar positioning.
• Be At One: UK cocktail bar chain founded in 1998 with 30+ venues focused on creative cocktails and trained mixologists. Direct competitor to The Alchemist on cocktail-led experience, urban multi-site footprint, and 25-45 demographic. Now part of Stonegate Pub Company.
• Loungers plc: Listed UK operator of Lounge cafe-bars and Cosy Club restaurants across 200+ sites. Comparable to The Alchemist on UK multi-site all-day dining/bar proposition, neighborhood/community positioning, and similar demographic, though with a more casual, less cocktail-led format.
• Slug and Lettuce: Stonegate-operated UK cocktail bar chain with 70+ sites. Comparable to The Alchemist on UK-wide cocktail bar multi-site model, group occasions (Bottomless Brunch), and value-positioned cocktail-led all-day dining.
• Revolution Bars Group: Listed UK bar operator (AIM) running Revolution and Revolución de Cuba brands. Comparable to The Alchemist in multi-site UK bar positioning, cocktail-led proposition, and 18-35 demographic focus. Provides public-market read on UK bar chain economics.
• The Cocktail Club: UK cocktail bar chain known for creative, theatrical cocktail presentations similar to The Alchemist. Competes directly on cocktail experience differentiation, group/celebration occasions, and urban UK locations.

Emerging players

• Hawksmoor: UK premium restaurant group known for distinctive branding, cocktails, and experiential dining. Comparable to The Alchemist on creative cocktail craft, theatrical service elements, and strong social media-native brand presence, though focused on premium steakhouses rather than bar-led format.

Broad incumbents

• Wagamama: UK-headquartered branded casual dining chain with multi-site national presence and delivery partnerships. Comparable to The Alchemist at the broad level of UK multi-site hospitality, all-day dining, and delivery integration, though not cocktail-led.

Others

• Drinksmiths / Funkin Cocktails: UK-based cocktail mixer/producer supplying venues and retailers. Relevant to The Alchemist as a potential partner or competitor in the ready-to-drink cocktail extension; comparable RTD/e-commerce positioning to the Alchemist's online shop.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYOZ6HfDFBJU2PfbWpTDGvg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheAlchemistLTDUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/thealchemistuk
• TikToktiktok.com/@thealchemistuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant