What Wells & Co. does

Wells & Co. (legal entity Charles Wells Limited, registered in England and Wales, company number 00106884) is an independent, family-owned pub and brewery business founded in 1876 in Bedfordshire and now in its fifth generation of family ownership. The company operates nearly 200 pubs split across three divisions: 45 Managed Houses (26 in the UK and 19 in France under Charles Wells France Sarl), 136 Pub Partner leased and tenanted sites concentrated in the northern home countries and East Anglia, and the Brewpoint brewery, taproom and head office complex in Bedford.

The company's core product platform is Brewpoint, a state-of-the-art brewing facility opened in May 2021 after construction began in summer 2019, with flexible brewing capacity of six million pints per year supporting both traditional cask ales and contemporary canned/bottled beers. The branded beer portfolio includes the core Brewpoint range (Foghorn Hazy Session IPA, Supernova Helles Lager, Lodestar Pale Ale, Genesis Bedford Stout), the heritage John Bull English Ale and Classic Lager, the founder-dedicated Charlie Wells range, and limited-edition collaborations via the Wandering Brewer Project with 20+ British independent breweries. Pubs offer food, drink, accommodation and community experiences, with recent investments including a £355k refurbishment of Cox's Yard in Stratford-upon-Avon and a full transformation of The Pheasant in Bedford.

Wells & Co. generates revenue from four primary streams: direct food, drink and accommodation sales across the 45 Managed Houses in the UK and France; rental and support fees from 136 Pub Partner sites; wholesale and on-trade supply of Brewpoint beers to the company's own pubs and external operators; and direct-to-consumer sales through the Brewpoint online shop, taproom and virtual tasting experiences. In FY25 the group reported £66.2 million in sales (+£0.4 million year-on-year), with group EBITDA up 5% to £10.3 million and operating profit before exceptional costs up 21% to £4.2 million, supported by 4% growth in Pub Partner turnover, 2% growth in Managed House turnover, and a 9% uplift in Brewpoint sales.

Name

Wells & Co.

Legal name

Charles Wells Limited

Website

https://wellsandco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Wells & Co. is an independent, family-owned pub and brewing business founded in 1876, operating approximately 200 pubs across England and France alongside its own Brewpoint brewery in Bedford, serving individual consumers, Pub Partner operators, and external on-trade customers with award-winning beers and community pub experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub & Brewery Operations

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF), Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB), Craft Beer Retail & Bottle Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAC)

Keywords

• Pub operations
• Craft brewery
• Leased pubs
• Beer production
• Hospitality services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed House Pubs Revenue: Direct revenue from company-managed pub sites in the UK (26 sites) and France (19 sites), generating overall Managed House turnover growth of 2% in FY25. Revenue derived from food, drink, and accommodation sales across these directly operated sites.
2. Pub Partner Lease & Tenancy Revenue: Rental income from 136 leased and tenanted Pub Partner sites across northern home countries and East Anglia. Delivered fourth consecutive year of growth in FY25 with 4% turnover increase. The division supports partners with held supplier pricing on draught beer for 18+ months.
3. Brewpoint Beer Production & Sales: Brewpoint brewery produces beer for supply to the company's own pub estate and external on-trade customers. Core brands (Supernova Helles Lager, Foghorn Hazy IPA, Genesis Stout) drove 9% uplift in overall Brewpoint sales in FY25. Own-brewed beer volume to UK pub estate up 9% year-on-year.
4. Brewpoint Retail & Online Shop: Direct retail sales via Brewpoint's online shop (beers in cans and mini kegs, merchandise) and on-site at the Brewpoint taproom/brewery. Also includes function space hire and event hosting at Brewpoint's first-floor dedicated function space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Family-owned pub and brewery business operating approximately 200 pubs across England and France, organised into UK Managed Houses (26 sites), Wells & Co. France (19 sites), and the Pub Partner leased/tenanted estate (136 sites). Brewpoint, its state-of-the-art brewery in Bedford, produces six million pints per year of award-winning core brands (Foghorn Hazy IPA, Supernova Helles Lager, Lodestar Pale Ale, Genesis Bedford Stout) plus John Bull and Charlie Wells lines, supplying its own pub estate and external on-trade customers. Brewpoint also operates a taproom, restaurant, retail shop, function space, and virtual brewery tours.

Product overview

Wells & Co. is an independent family-owned pub and brewery company founded in 1876, celebrating 150 years of operation in 2025-2026. The company operates a portfolio of approximately 200 pubs across England and France and owns Brewpoint, a state-of-the-art brewing facility in Bedford capable of producing six million pints per year. The core product portfolio includes Brewpoint branded beers (Foghorn Hazy Session IPA, Supernova Helles Lager, Lodestar Pale Ale, Genesis Bedford Stout), John Bull branded beers (English Ale, Classic Lager), and the limited edition Wandering Brewer collaboration series. The company operates three pub divisions: Managed Houses (26 company-operated pubs in UK and France), Pub Partners (136 leased/tenanted sites), and Wells & Co. France (19 pubs). Brewpoint serves as the company's brewing mothership, retail shop, restaurant, and social hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Managed Houses (UK) 26 Wells & Co.-operated pubs across the UK including gastropubs, community pubs, and city-centre locations, generating revenue directly through food, drink, and accommodation sales.
• Wells & Co. France (Managed Pubs) 19 directly managed pubs across France in cities including Strasbourg, Lille, Paris, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Montpellier, and Reims, offering a 'real taste of England' in France through food, drink, and accommodation sales.
• Pub Partners (Leased & Tenanted Pubs) 136 leased and tenanted Pub Partner sites across the northern home countries and East Anglia, operated independently by Pub Partners who receive support including held supplier pricing for 18+ months, round-table forums, and business development assistance.
• Brewpoint (Brewery & Taproom) State-of-the-art brewing facility in Bedford housing brewery, roastery, shop, taproom, and eating/gathering hub. Produces six million pints per year with capacity for traditional cask ales and contemporary bottled/canned beers. Also offers direct retail sales, function space hire, and virtual brewery tours.
• Foghorn Hazy Session IPA A hazy, sessionable American-style IPA at 4.3% ABV featuring gentle pine notes, stonefruit and citrus flavours with a crisp, bitter finish. Made with Mosaic, Citra, and Simcoe hops. Award-winning core Brewpoint brand.
• Supernova Helles Lager A modern German-style lager at 4.6% ABV brewed with traditional methods. Features lightly toasted malt profile, crisp finish, and zesty aroma from Perle, Hallertau Blanc, and Nelson Sauvin hops. Award-winning core Brewpoint brand.
• Lodestar Pale Ale An easy-drinking crisp pale ale at 4.0% ABV with bright tropical and citrus hop flavours on a light malt base and low bitterness. Made with Warrior, Cascade, Azacca, and Trident hops.
• Genesis Bedford Stout A smooth, creamy Bedford stout at 4.1% ABV brewed in small batches with roasted barley, oat malt, and English bittering hops. Features roasted aromas and dry taste leading to a mellow, moreish finish.
• John Bull English Ale An amber ale at 5.3% ABV with distinctive spicy hop aroma, balanced caramel malt, and crisp fruity, peppery hops with lasting finish. Uses Target, Hallertau, and Styria Bled hops.
• John Bull Classic Lager A golden lager beer at 5.0% ABV, double filtered for a distinctive clean, extra smooth taste with rounded and irresistibly fresh aftertaste. Uses Northern Brewer and Hersbucker hops.
• Wandering Brewer Project A three-year limited edition collaboration project between Wells & Co. and Britain's best independent breweries producing exclusive craft beers, including collaborations with over 20 breweries such as Fourpure, XT Brewing, Bristol Beer Factory, and Hopstuff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Group EBITDA grew 5% to £10.3 million in FY25; operating profit before exceptional costs increased 21% to £4.2m
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Multiple Independent UK Breweries (Wandering Brewer Project)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017The Wandering Brewer Project was a three-year collaboration (launched autumn 2017) between Wells & Co. and Britain's best independent breweries to keep Wells & Co.'s name as a brewer in the public consciousness during construction of Brewpoint, provide Pub Partners with new beers, and select popular beers for the core portfolio. Collaboration breweries included Fourpure, XT Brewing, Bristol Beer Factory, Castle Rock Brewery, Titanic Brewery, Mauldons, Black Sheep Brewery, Hopstuff, Woodforde's Brewery, Portobello Brewing Co., Nethergate, Bedlam Brewery, Exmoor Ales, Windsor & Eton Brewery, Butcombe Brewing, Adnams, Thornbridge Brewery, Tring Brewery, Rooster's Brewing Co, Purity Brewing, Big Smoke Brew, Bath Ales, and Wild Beer Co.
• Too Good To GominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Too Good To Go app enabling surplus food rescue magic bags at Wells & Co. managed houses in the UK and France. Reduces food waste and drives new customer discovery of pubs and beers. 8.5 million people use the platform to save food, with over 11 million magic bags rescued across the industry.
• Jenny Higham (Local Bee Expert)minorOthersLocal bee guru Jenny Higham guided the Brewpoint team through the process of setting up beehives as part of the Beepoint sustainability initiative, and mentored Louise Wells (family member) as bee-keeper in training. Three beehives were installed at Brewpoint with plans to expand.
• Ben Fay of In TrimminorOthersBen Fay of In Trim created a beautiful array of bee-friendly plants including lavender and bug hotels at Brewpoint as part of the Beepoint sustainability project to increase biodiversity on the previously empty field behind the brewery.
• Yasmin Willmer (Local Artist)minorOthersLocal Bedford artist Yasmin Willmer gave the Brewpoint beehives a creative makeover to reflect brewery colours and incorporate the Brewpoint logo.
• Local Bedfordshire ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWells & Co. ran a paid collaboration with local Bedfordshire artists to create artwork for Brewpoint's seasonal beer pump clips. Thirteen individual pieces of artwork were chosen for monthly cask beer offerings in 2021. Artists included Kelly Billington. Brewpoint plans to sell signed prints via the Brewpoint shop once Covid restrictions lifted.
• Teenage Cancer TrustminorOthersWells & Co. announced Teenage Cancer Trust as its new corporate charity in May 2022, replacing Prostate Cancer UK. The company raises funds through pub events and initiatives. Raised over £1,800 for Teenage Cancer Trust during Jubilee Weekend 2022.
• Prostate Cancer UKminorOthersPrevious corporate charity of Wells & Co. The Pub Partner Awards event raised valuable funds for Prostate Cancer UK. Replaced by Teenage Cancer Trust in May 2022.
• Bedford CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Bedford College where student Carli Pfurtscheller developed the creative ideas for the Brewpoint logo and branding, which was then finalised in-house with ex-Bedford College student Marcus Finch.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greene King: One of the UK's largest pub retailers and brewers, operating ~2,600 managed, tenanted, and leased pubs alongside the Greene King brewery (IPA, Abbot Ale). Most directly comparable to Wells & Co. on the managed/leased split, UK regional footprint, and owned-brewery integration.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner: London-based family brewer and pub operator (London Pride, ESB) running ~400 managed and tenanted pubs. Highly comparable family-ownership heritage, premium brewery portfolio, and managed-plus-tenanted estate structure.
• Adnams: Suffolk-based independent brewer and pub/hotel operator producing Ghost Ship and Sole Bay alongside a portfolio of inns. Comparable as a smaller family-owned regional brewer + pub operator with own-brand-led beer distribution and DTC retail.
• Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewer (1698) operating ~300 pubs and inns across Kent and the South East alongside Spitfire and Bishop's Finger brands. Closely comparable on heritage, regional family-brewer-plus-pub-estate identity, and award-winning cask ale focus.
• Timothy Taylor Brewery: Yorkshire-based family-owned regional brewer of Landlord and other cask ales, with a tied pub estate in northern England. Comparable on family ownership, regional premium-cask focus, and tied-pub distribution model — overlaps with Wells & Co.'s Pub Partner geography.
• Batemans Brewery: Lincolnshire family brewer (XXXB, Salem Porter) operating a small estate of managed and tenanted pubs. Comparable multi-generational family brewer-plus-pub model focused on regional English cask ale.
• Hook Norton Brewery: Oxfordshire-based family-owned regional brewer with a tied pub estate, including the Hook Norton flagship brands. Comparable as a multi-generational family brewer combining cask-ale production with a leased/managed pub network.
• St Austell Brewery: Cornish family-owned regional brewer (Tribute, Proper Job) operating a managed and tenanted pub estate alongside its brewery. Directly comparable on family-owned regional brewer-plus-pub model, premium cask ale positioning, and South West UK focus.
• Marston's PLC: UK pub operator and brewer with ~1,400 pubs and brewing brands including Marston's Pedigree, Wainwright, and Bombardier. Closely comparable on brewery-plus-pub-estate model, leased/tenanted scale, and regional UK focus.

Emerging players

• Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewer (Camden Pale Ale, Hells Lager) with its own brewery taproom and a growing UK and international on-trade footprint. Comparable on modern craft brand portfolio, brewery-taproom DTC channel, and on-trade distribution — a relevant emerging competitor in the same beer category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wearewellsandco
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearewellsandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wells-and-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Wells & Co.