Daniel Thwaites

What Daniel Thwaites does

Daniel Thwaites PLC is a sixth-generation, family-controlled UK hospitality group operating pubs, inns, hotels with spas, and a brewery across England. Founded in 1807 by Daniel Thwaites, a farmer's son from the Lake District, the group now operates approximately 250 freehold properties and 1,700 employees, spanning Lancashire, the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Cotswolds, and the South Coast. The company is family-controlled through the Yerburgh family, with Richard Bailey as Executive Chairman and Kevin Wood as Finance Director; it is structured as a PLC with shares traded on the Aquis Exchange growth market but remains effectively private in governance terms.

The business runs four verticals: (1) Hotels & Spas — ten managed properties including the flagship Langdale Chase (Small Luxury Hotels of the World member, AA five-star) and the Spa Hotel estate (Aztec, Solent, Thorpe Park, North Lakes, Cottons, Kettering Park, Middletons), which generated £60.7m of segment revenue in FY2026; (2) Inns — 13+ historic properties including The Beverley Arms, Lister Arms, Judge's Lodging, and Red Lion; (3) Tenanted Pubs — approximately 250 freehold pubs leased to licensees who have exclusive access to Thwaites-brewed beer; and (4) Brewery Operations — traditional craft ales brewed in the Ribble Valley, supplied exclusively to Thwaites outlets. Distribution is omnichannel: direct website booking incentivised through the Thwaites Rates loyalty program, third-party OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia), property walk-ins, and a dedicated gift-voucher e-commerce platform.

Revenue mechanics are asset-heavy and per-unit. Accommodation pricing starts at £220 B&B and spa breaks at £336; spa day experiences range £78–£290; afternoon tea for two ranges £60–£80; gift vouchers start at £10 with 1-year validity. FY2026 (year ended 31 March 2026) turnover was £127.0m (+5% YoY) with operating profit of £13.0m (+10% YoY); net debt was £67.7m, reduced £3.7m year-on-year; dividends rose to 3.75p per share. Recent strategic actions include the November 2025 acquisition of Blue Bell Cider House, ongoing refurbishment capex on Solent and North Lakes, ECOSmart Gold certification across nine hotels, the World Cup 2026 'Watch to Win' campaign, and pre-emptive energy hedging through the Iran-war period. AA named the group Hotel Group of the Year 2026.

Name

Daniel Thwaites

Legal name

Daniel Thwaites PLC

Website

https://thwaites.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1807

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Daniel Thwaites PLC is a sixth-generation, family-controlled UK hospitality group operating approximately 250 freehold pubs, inns, hotels with spas, and a Ribble Valley brewery across England, serving leisure travellers, corporate clients, and tenanted pub licensees with £127m of FY2026 revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Services (Hotels, Inns, Pubs & Brewery)

NAICS

Traveler Accommodation (7211), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Villa Property Management & Concierge Services (THAMAEAJ)

Keywords

• Hospitality services
• Craft brewery operations
• Hotel spa accommodations
• Pub tenancy management
• Historic inn lodging

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackburn

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotels & Spas: Turnover of £60.7m from hotels and spas segment. The company operates 10 hotels/spas including Langdale Chase, Aztec Hotel & Spa, Solent Hotel & Spa, Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa, North Lakes Hotel & Spa, Cottons Hotel & Spa, Kettering Park Hotel & Spa, Middletons Hotel, Lodge at Bristol, and Lodge at Solent.
2. Inns Division: The inns division recorded 8% sales growth. Company operates historic inns including The Beverley Arms, The Lister Arms, The Red Lion, The Fleece, The Judge's Lodging, The Royal Oak, Toll House Inn, The Millstone, The Buck Inn, The Royal Heysham, The Bull's Head, The Crown Inn, and The Golden Lion.
3. Tenanted Pubs: The company has approximately 250 freehold properties comprising tenanted pubs. Tenants can run their own pub with Thwaites' support and exclusive access to Thwaites beer.
4. Brewery Operations: Craft ales brewed exclusively for Thwaites pubs, inns and hotels. Beer is a core heritage product where the company started and takes pride in every pint.
5. Gift Vouchers and Experiences: Sale of gift vouchers for spa experiences, afternoon teas, overnight packages and monetary vouchers across hotels and inns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Daniel Thwaites PLC is a family-controlled hospitality business operating an estate of more than 220 pubs, inns, hotels and spas across England, alongside a craft brewery at Mellor Brook in the Ribble Valley that produces traditional ales exclusively for its own properties. The company sells overnight accommodation, spa and wellness experiences, food and beverage services (including signature afternoon teas), corporate meetings and weddings, gift vouchers and tenanted pub opportunities, with direct bookings supported by the Thwaites Rates loyalty programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Langdale Chase: Victorian manor hotel on the edge of Windermere in the Lake District, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World with five-star AA rating
• Aztec Hotel & Spa
• Solent Hotel & Spa
• Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa
• North Lakes Hotel & Spa
• Cottons Hotel & Spa
• Kettering Park Hotel & Spa
• Middletons Hotel
• The Lodge at Bristol
• The Lodge at Solent

Products and services

• Hotels & Spas Four-star and five-star hotel accommodation with on-site spa and wellness facilities, restaurants, function rooms and wedding venues across England. Targeted at leisure guests, couples, families, corporate groups and event bookers.
• Inns Historic full-service inns offering accommodation, food, drink and event space in distinctive buildings rooted in their local communities. Targeted at leisure travellers, walkers, dog owners and event guests.
• Tenanted Pubs Licensed-operator pub programme in which tenants run their own community pub from a Thwaites freehold property with exclusive access to Thwaites-brewed ales and brand support. Targeted at aspiring pub entrepreneurs and licensees.
• Thwaites Craft Brewery Beers In-house brewed craft ales, zesty pales and seasonal specials supplied exclusively to Thwaites' own pub, inn and hotel estate. Paradise No. 3 won a 2026 International Brewing Awards silver medal.
• Thwaites Gift Vouchers Flexible monetary and experience gift cards sold online via gifts.thwaites.co.uk, redeemable against food, drink, spa and accommodation at any Thwaites hotel or inn (excluding Langdale Chase and tenanted pubs).
• Spa Day Experiences Day spa packages combining use of spa facilities, light lunches, treatments and refreshments across Thwaites' spa hotels, targeted at leisure guests, couples and gift recipients.
• Afternoon Tea Traditional and Champagne afternoon tea experiences served at Thwaites hotels and inns, targeted at couples, gift recipients and special-occasion guests.
• Overnight Spa & Leisure Packages Overnight stays paired with breakfast, dinner allowance and spa treatments at Thwaites' four-star hotels, sold as bundled leisure packages.
• Weddings & Private Celebrations Wedding receptions, private celebrations and special-occasion events hosted at Thwaites hotels and inns, with on-site catering, function rooms and accommodation.
• Corporate Meetings & Conferences Corporate meetings, conferences, team events and training sessions at Thwaites hotels with catering, function rooms and accommodation for delegates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew 5% to £127m with operating profit up 10% to £13m
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Molson CoorscoreOthersMain drinks supplier for beers, ciders, wines, spirits and soft drinks. One of the major multinational breweries in the supply chain.
• HeinekencoreOthersMain drinks supplier for beers, ciders, wines, spirits and soft drinks. One of the major multinational breweries in the supply chain.
• Carlsberg MarstonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain distribution partner for drinks. Major supplier involved in sourcing of raw materials for drinks provision.
• GreengagecoreOthersIndustry leading sustainability organisation that awarded nine Thwaites hotels and spas with Gold ECOSmart certification. Helps businesses maintain and improve sustainability efforts.
• Small Luxury Hotels Of The WorldflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLangdale Chase is a member of Small Luxury Hotels Of The World, providing international recognition and distribution for the luxury hotel property.
• UK Food ProducerscoreOthersFood sourced as far as possible from UK producers, butchers and fruit and vegetable merchants. Supporting local enterprise and reducing supply chain complexity.
• Booking.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party online reservation system for hotel bookings. One of the booking platforms mentioned in privacy policy.
• ExpediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party online reservation system for hotel bookings. One of the booking platforms mentioned in privacy policy.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Young's & Co's Brewery: London-focused pub, hotel, and brewery operator with a comparable integrated model (managed pubs, tenanted pubs, brewery, premium hotels). Direct competitor for Thwaites' London catchment and similar London/SE premium positioning.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner: Historic London brewer and pub, inn, and hotel operator with a freehold-tilted estate. Comparable to Thwaites in combining heritage brewing, tenanted and managed pubs, and country inns/hotels across Southern England.
• Marston's PLC: Major UK pub and brewing group operating hundreds of managed and tenanted pubs alongside brewing. Comparable to Thwaites in pub-brewery integration and estate scale, though larger and more beer-volume-tilted.
• Greene King: Large UK pub retailer and brewer (owned by CK Asset Holdings) with managed and tenanted pubs, hotels and inns across England. Most direct peer by estate composition — pubs, inns, hotels, brewery — though at substantially larger scale.
• St Austell Brewery: Family-owned Cornish brewer operating tenanted and managed pubs plus hotels across the South West. Highly comparable family-controlled brewery-and-estate model; notably, its CEO Kevin Georgel has just joined Thwaites' board as independent NED.
• Wadworth & Co: Family-owned Wiltshire brewer with ~200 tenanted and managed pubs and a heritage Shire-horse brand presence — a remarkably close analogue to Thwaites' brewery-led, freehold-focused, family-controlled estate in scale and ethos.
• Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewer (1698) operating a similar combined brewery, tenanted pub estate, and select hotels in Kent and the South East. Closest analogue to Thwaites on heritage-driven brewery-plus-hospitality positioning.
• Cairn Hotel Group: UK mid-market and upscale hotel operator running a multi-property estate across England. Comparable to Thwaites' hotels & spas segment in scale and segment, though without the brewery or pub estate.
• Hand Picked Hotels: UK collection of country house and boutique hotels in heritage properties, similar in character to Langdale Chase and Thwaites' inns division. Competes directly for the premium leisure and weekend-break guest.

Broad incumbents

• Mitchells & Butlers: UK's largest managed pub and restaurant operator (All Bar One, Toby Carvery, Harvester, Miller & Carter, etc.). Competes for the same UK leisure pound but operates at much larger scale and without Thwaites' brewery heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thwaitesbrewery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Daniel Thwaites