What The Belhaven Group plc does

The Belhaven Group plc is Scotland's oldest working brewery, established in 1719 in Dunbar, East Lothian, and now operated within the Greene King group following Greene King's 2005 acquisition (today the legal entity is Greene King Brewing and Retailing Limited). The company brews a portfolio of ales and stouts including Belhaven Best (Scotland's No.1 ale at 3.2% ABV), Belhaven Black (Scotland's No.1 stout at 4.2%), Belhaven 80 Shilling, Belhaven Scottish Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy, and Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, brewed using malted barley from East Lothian, fresh water from an on-site spring, and a proprietary Belhaven yeast strain, with aging and storage in cellars originally excavated by Benedictine monks in the 1200s. Its commercial activity spans on-trade and off-trade beer sales (including export to 45+ countries), a network of managed pubs across Scotland (venues include Rhoderick Dhu in Glasgow, Molly Malones in Dundee, and Albanach in Edinburgh), leased and tenanted pubs via Greene King Pub Partners, brewery tourism (paid £25/person tours with tastings at The Monk's Retreat), function room hire, and live sports and music programming. The business monetizes primarily through per-unit food and drink transactions in pubs, on-trade and off-trade wholesale beer sales (330ml bottles and keg formats), one-time brewery tour fees, and gift cards / loyalty redemptions via the Greene King App, serving Scottish families and groups, sports fans (Sky Sports / TNT Sports), local community members, whisky enthusiasts, and beer tourists.

Name

The Belhaven Group plc

Legal name

Greene King Brewing and Retailing Limited

Website

https://belhaven.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1719

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Belhaven is Scotland's oldest working brewery (founded 1719, Dunbar), brewing ales and stouts including Belhaven Best and Belhaven Black, and operating a network of Scottish pubs, brewery tours, and exports to 45+ countries under Greene King ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing / Beer Manufacturing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers (424810)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Scottish craft brewing
• Traditional ales
• Brewery tours
• Pub hospitality
• Beer distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Belhaven

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pub Food and Drink Sales: Belhaven managed pubs generate revenue through food and drink sales, including Belhaven-branded beers (Best, Black, Twisted Thistle IPA), whiskies, cocktails, and pub meals. Pubs operate across Scotland with varying price points including lunch deals from £8.95.
2. On-Trade Beer Sales: Belhaven beers are sold on-tap across Belhaven managed pubs and leased/tenanted pubs within the Greene King Pub Partners estate. Key brands include Scotland's No.1 ale (Belhaven Best) and No.1 stout (Belhaven Black).
3. Off-Trade Beer Sales: Belhaven exports beer to over 45 countries worldwide including the USA. Products available in 330ml bottles and keg formats for retail. Belhaven is the official beer of New York Tartan Day events in the USA.
4. Brewery Tours: Guided tours of the brewery at £25 per person, lasting two hours, with tastings at the on-site pub The Monk's Retreat. Tours accommodate up to 10 people. Larger group bookings available by direct arrangement.
5. Function Room Hire and Events: Pubs offer function rooms for private events including weddings, conferences, birthdays, and Christmas celebrations. Venues like Rhoderick Dhu feature dedicated meeting rooms and function spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Belhaven Group plc brews and sells a portfolio of traditional Scottish ales, stouts and craft beers from its brewery in Dunbar, Scotland. Its beer brands are distributed through a network of Belhaven-managed pubs across Scotland, leased/tenanted estate pubs under Greene King Pub Partners, and international export channels reaching over 45 countries. The company also operates brewery tours and ancillary pub services including food service, live sports broadcasting, and private function hire.

Product overview

The Belhaven Group plc operates Scotland's oldest working brewery (established 1719 in Dunbar) producing a portfolio of award-winning ales, stouts, and craft beers. The core product range includes Belhaven Best (Scotland's No.1 ale at 3.2%), Belhaven Black (Scotland's No.1 stout at 4.2%), Belhaven 80 Shilling, Belhaven Scottish Ale, Belhaven Wee Heavy (7.4%), and Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA. These beers are sold through the company's network of managed pubs across Scotland, which also serve food and offer experiences including brewery tours, live sports viewing (Sky Sports, TNT Sports), live music events (Untapped), function room hire, and seasonal celebrations. The business operates as part of Greene King and offers digital services including a mobile app with loyalty rewards and online booking. Beers are available for home purchase and on-trade stocking through valueforvenues.co.uk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Belhaven Best: Scotland's No.1 ale - a balanced, refreshing smooth session ale at 3.2%
• Belhaven Black
• Belhaven Scottish Ale
• Belhaven Twisted Thistle
• Belhaven Wee Heavy
• Belhaven 80 Shilling

Products and services

• Belhaven Best A balanced, refreshing and easy drinking smooth session ale at 3.2% ABV, sold via on-trade pubs and off-trade retail in 330ml bottles and kegs.
• Belhaven Black A 4.2% ABV stout with coffee and chocolate flavour notes, marketed as Scotland's No.1 stout and sold on-trade and off-trade.
• Belhaven 80 Shilling A traditional style of ale typical of the East of Scotland, produced by Belhaven Brewery.
• Belhaven Scottish Ale A deep copper coloured ale at 5.2% ABV with biscuit malt and caramel flavours, brewed close to medieval monastery brewing traditions.
• Belhaven Wee Heavy A full bodied, sweet and warming classic Scottish ale at 7.4-7.5% ABV with dark fruit, caramel and malt notes.
• Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA An award-winning craft IPA from Scotland's oldest working brewery, part of the Belhaven beer range.
• Belhaven McCallum's Sweet Scottish Stout A sweet Scottish stout from the Belhaven beer range.
• Belhaven Belter A Belhaven beer featured in promotional competitions and pub activations.
• Belhaven Brewery Tours A 2-hour guided brewery tour of Scotland's oldest working brewery (established 1719) in Dunbar, including the brewing process history and tastings at The Monk's Retreat pub; £25 per person, bookable online.
• Belhaven Pubs Network of managed pubs across Scotland serving Belhaven beers, food, live sports via Sky Sports/TNT Sports, live music through the Untapped programme, and private function room hire.
• Greene King App (Belhaven service) Mobile app for Belhaven pubs enabling digital ordering, loyalty rewards (Spin-to-Win promotions, Sticker Stacker games), exclusive discount offers (such as 20% student discount), and table booking.
• Belhaven Gift Cards Gift cards valid at participating Belhaven pubs for food, drinks, and festive occasions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Scotland's No.1 ale and No.1 stout market position
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Greene KingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Greene King acquired The Belhaven Group in 2005. Belhaven managed pubs operate within Greene King Local Pubs business, while leased and tenanted pubs sit within Greene King Pub Partners estate. The acquisition provided capital for expansion and access to Greene King's broader pub infrastructure and supply chain. Belhaven maintains strong local Scottish identity within the Greene King portfolio.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tennent's: Scotland's largest brewery owned by C&C Group, brewing lager and ales in Glasgow. Most direct competitor to Belhaven within the Scottish on-trade, competing for taps, listings, and consumer occasions across pubs.
• Caledonian Brewery: Edinburgh-based Scottish brewery (owned by Heineken) producing ales including Deuchar's IPA. Direct peer in Scottish craft/traditional ale category with similar heritage positioning and pub distribution.
• Innis & Gunn: Independent Scottish craft brewery with strong export presence and on-trade listings. Comparable in producing ales and IPAs with Scottish provenance, though skews more toward contemporary craft positioning than Belhaven's traditional ale heritage.
• BrewDog: Largest Scottish craft brewer with extensive own-pub estate (BrewDog Bars) across UK and international markets. Comparable on the multi-channel brewery + pub + export model, though positioned as a contemporary craft challenger rather than heritage brewer.
• Shepherd Neame: Britain's oldest brewery (1698) based in Kent, operating own-pub estate and brewing ales including Spitfire. Closely comparable on heritage brewery + managed pub + export model, with similar mid-sized regional player profile.

Broad incumbents

• McEwan's / William Younger: Historic Scottish ale brands (McEwan's Export, Younger's Tartan) now owned by Molson Coors Beverage Company. Closest historical peer as Scottish heritage ales within a global brewing major's portfolio, mirroring Belhaven's position under Greene King.
• Greene King (other brands): Belhaven's parent company, also brewing flagship ales like Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale. Relevant as sister brands sharing distribution, app, and pub estate infrastructure, and as direct competitors for tap space within Greene King managed pubs.
• Diageo Scotland: Global spirits and beer major with extensive Scottish operations and heritage brands. Relevant as a broader incumbent operating in the Scottish beverage market, though focused on spirits (whisky) rather than ale.

Emerging players

• Harviestoun Brewery: Independent Scottish craft brewery known for premium ales like Schiehallion. Comparable as a smaller Scottish craft producer competing in on-trade and export, though with a more limited pub and distribution footprint than Belhaven.
• Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewery (majority owned by AB InBev) combining brewery, own-pubs, and distribution. Comparable as a UK craft brewer with multi-channel model, though English rather than Scottish in heritage and positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belhaven-brewery

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 Belhaven Group plc