The Liberation Group

What The Liberation Group does

The Liberation Group is a privately held hospitality and brewing operator founded in 2008 and headquartered in St. Saviour, Jersey. It runs 17-20 directly managed pubs and bars across Jersey and Guernsey under the Liberation brand, supplemented by a tenancy programme for partner-operated pubs, and extends into the South of England via its sister Butcombe Pubs & Inns estate. The company owns the Liberation Brewery in St. Helier (over 150 years of brewing heritage, 100,000+ pints annually) and operates a 50,000 sq ft bottling, kegging and distribution depot at Polden, Bridgwater, capable of producing over 100,000 bottles per week for both own-brand and contract-bottling customers. Its technology footprint is conventional hospitality tooling: a website with table and room booking, a Liberation mobile app on iOS and Android (with PayPal payments), and a loyalty platform (Liberation Loyalty Club) that issues points redeemable for vouchers. The company is 251-500 employees, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities or patents.

The group's revenue model is a hybrid of consumer-facing and B2B streams: food, drink and accommodation sales at managed venues; subscription-style accommodation bookings at the Old Court House Inn and other pub rooms; transaction-fee wholesale distribution of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to free trade customers across the South West of England (up to 500 deliveries per week); a managed-services tenancy model for partner pubs; and a loyalty programme that drives repeat consumer spend. Pricing is per-unit (Brilliant Breakfast £12.50, Pie Night £19.95) with promotional tiers (Liberation Wednesday 25% off food, Loyalty20 20% off rooms, Summer Sale 30% off B&B) and an online brewery shop offering UK delivery or click & collect. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through owned venues, complemented by channel partners (tenants and wholesale customers), with digital channels (website, app, email, organic social) supporting acquisition and retention.

The customer base is geographically anchored in the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) for the managed estate, with a regional South West England footprint for wholesale and Butcombe venues. The company has won multiple industry awards, including a Publican Awards 2022 triple win (Best Premium Food Offering, Best Managed Pub Company, Best Accommodation Operator), Publican Awards 2024 recognition, Sunday Times Top 100 Best Places to Work 2025, and ongoing World Beer Awards golds. Its key suppliers and partners include local Channel Islands producers, Bibendum Wine, Cask Marque, and wellbeing providers The Burnt Chef Project, Westfield Health and Reward Gateway.

Name

The Liberation Group

Website

http://www.liberationgroup.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Liberation Group is a Channel Islands-based pub, restaurant and drinks business operating 17-20 managed pubs and a partner tenancy programme in Jersey and Guernsey, alongside a craft brewery, a 50,000 sq ft Bridgwater bottling and distribution depot, and the Butcombe sister brand across the South of England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub and Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Breweries (312120), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)

Keywords

• Pub and bar operations
• Craft brewery production
• Beverage wholesale distribution
• Hospitality accommodation services
• Channel islands hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Helier

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Pub Food and Drink Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales across 17 managed pubs and bars in Jersey and Guernsey. Includes bar sales, restaurant dining, and takeaway beverages.
2. Accommodation: Revenue from room bookings at The Old Court House Inn and other pubs with accommodation. Direct bookings via website with best rate guarantee.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to free trade customers including pubs, restaurants and retailers. Fleet covers delivery area from Dartmoor to Weymouth, Oxford and Hereford. Delivers up to 500 customer orders each week.
4. Tenancy/Rental Model: Partner pubs operated by tenants or lessees as independent businesses. Liberation Group provides support, training, and supply while tenants run operations.
5. Loyalty Program: Liberation Loyalty Club generates repeat customer revenue through points-based rewards system. Members earn points on food, drink and accommodation purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Liberation Group operates 17 managed pubs and bars across Jersey and Guernsey offering food, drink, accommodation and events, supported by its own Liberation Brewery in St. Helier producing award-winning beers such as Liberation Ale and Liberation IPA. The group runs a multi-million pound bottling, kegging and distribution depot at Bridgwater (over 100,000 bottles per week) supplying its own brands plus beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to free trade customers across the South West of England, alongside the Liberation Loyalty Club and Old Court House Inn boutique hotel.

Product overview

The Liberation Group operates as a hospitality company with two primary business pillars: (1) pub and bar operations across the Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey) with 20 managed venues plus partner pubs, and (2) a craft brewery producing award-winning beers for over 150 years. The company also operates bottling and kegging facilities, distribution services, retail shops, and accommodation at the Old Court House Inn boutique hotel. A sister brand, Butcombe Pubs & Inns, extends operations to mainland UK. The group offers a mobile application and loyalty programme enabling digital membership, point earning, and app-based purchasing. The tenancy programme allows independent operators to run pubs under the Liberation brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liberation Group Pubs & Bars Core hospitality offering of 17 directly managed pubs and bars across Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands, plus partner/tenant-operated venues. Each venue offers food, drink, accommodation, live music, sports viewing and event spaces for local residents, tourists and event bookers.
• Liberation Brewery Company's own craft brewery located in St. Helier, Jersey, producing over 100,000 pints annually of award-winning beers including Liberation Ale and Liberation IPA. Supplies Liberation's managed pubs and supports wholesale channels with more than 150 years of brewing heritage in the Channel Islands.
• Pub Tenancy Programme Tenancy programme enabling individuals and partnerships to run their own pub under the Liberation Group brand. Tenants benefit from Liberation's buying power, structured training (Cask Marque cellar management, Bibendum Wine education), supply chain and marketing assistance while operating independently.
• Bottling & Kegging Operations Multi-million pound, state-of-the-art 50,000 sq ft bottling, kegging and distribution facility at Polden, Bridgwater, with capacity to produce over 100,000 bottles per week. Bottles for fellow breweries alongside the company's own Butcombe and Liberation product lines.
• Distribution Services Composite wholesaler operation distributing beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to free trade customers including pubs, restaurants and retailers. Fleet and depot cover Dartmoor to Weymouth, Oxford and Hereford, with up to 500 customer orders dispatched each week.
• Liberation Quality Drinks Shops Channel Islands retail shops selling the group's beers, wines and other beverages, with in-store consumer purchases and wholesale options. Loyalty members earn 3 points per £1 spent.
• Old Court House Inn Boutique inn located in St. Aubin, Jersey, dating back to the 15th century. Features 10 bedrooms, two characterful bar areas, a brasserie-style restaurant and multiple event spaces (Judge's Room, Wine Cellar, Garden Room, outdoor courtyard) for weddings, private events and corporate meetings.
• Butcombe Pubs & Inns (Sister Brand) Sister brand operating pubs and inns with rooms throughout the South of England, extending the group's mainland UK footprint. Liberation Loyalty Club members can use the same offers when visiting Butcombe venues.
• Brewery Shop Online and physical shop selling Butcombe beers for UK delivery or Click & Collect from the brewery near Bristol. Offers bottles, mini kegs, polypins, merchandise and gluten-free options, with delivery charged at £5.99 per order or free local delivery for BS/TA6-9 postcodes over £40.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Gold awards at World Beer Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Burnt Chef ProjectcoreOthersPartnership for employee wellbeing support. The Burnt Chef Project is a trusted expert supporting team members' mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. Won Wellbeing Strategy of the Year Award 2025.
• Westfield HealthcoreOthersHealth and wellbeing support partner for employees, providing mental, physical, and financial wellbeing resources.
• Reward GatewaycoreOthersEmployee benefits platform partner providing staff discounts and savings with top retailers via Benefits Bar.
• Bibendum WinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWine partnership for regular tasting, serving and marketing training sessions. Provides wine education for tenants and staff.
• Cask MarqueminorOthersCentre for Excellence in Cask Marque training, providing cellar management training to all tenants.
• Channel Islands SuppliersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farmers, fishers and producers supplying Channel Islands ingredients for pub menus. Focus on seasonal, sustainable and traceable ingredients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marston's plc: UK pub operator and brewer with a national managed and tenanted pub estate and in-house brewing. Comparable to Liberation in combining managed pubs, tenanted operations, and brewing under a single group structure.
• Greene King: UK pub retailer and brewer with managed, tenanted, and franchised pubs and an owned brewery. Closely comparable to Liberation's hybrid managed/tenancy model plus in-house brewing heritage.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner: London and South East pub and brewery operator with managed pubs, tenancies, and a heritage brewing brand. Comparable regional brewer-pub model with similar premium positioning and food-led offering.
• Young's (Young & Co.'s Brewery): Premium UK pub, bar, and brewery operator with managed pubs and hotel rooms, primarily in London and the South. Comparable to Liberation in combining a heritage brewing brand with premium food, accommodation, and event-led pubs.
• Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewer and a regional pub operator across Kent and the South East. Comparable to Liberation in coupling a heritage brewery with a managed and tenanted pub estate and on-trade distribution.
• St. Austell Brewery: Family-owned South West England brewery with a tied and managed pub estate. Closely comparable in geography (South West), heritage brewing, and multi-venue pub operations alongside Liberation's Butcombe brand.
• Hall & Woodhouse: Dorset-based family brewer and pub operator with a managed and tenanted estate in the South of England. Comparable as a regional brewer-pub group serving the same Southern England geography as Butcombe.
• Wadworth & Co: Wiltshire-based regional brewer with a managed and tenanted pub estate. Comparable as a family-owned brewer-pub hybrid of similar size and geography to Liberation's UK mainland operations.

Broad incumbents

• Mitchells & Butlers: One of the largest UK managed pub operators with brands such as All Bar One, Harvester, and Toby Carvery. A larger, broadly comparable incumbent whose scale and portfolio breadth contrast with Liberation's regional focus.
• J D Wetherspoon: Large UK pub chain operating nearly 1,000 pubs nationwide. A broadly comparable on-trade operator at much greater scale, useful as a benchmark for UK pub economics and competitive dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inndulgenceclub
• Facebookfacebook.com/inndulgence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-liberation-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Liberation Group