The Craft Beer

What The Craft Beer does

The Craft Beer Co. is an independent, founder-owned pub company founded in July 2011 by Martin Hayes and Peter Slezak, operating a chain of craft beer-focused pubs across London (Clerkenwell, Covent Garden, Brixton, St. Mary Axe, The Bear Paddington, Hammersmith, Islington, Old Street, Clapham, Limehouse) and Brighton. The estate collectively features 155 keg lines and 79 cask pumps, with the Covent Garden venue claiming the largest tap selection in the UK (45 draft beers and ciders). Product offerings span keg and cask craft beer, bottled and canned selections (200+ SKUs at the Brixton site), wines, spirits, and a limited food menu built around artisan producers (Mr. Barrick's pies, handmade scotch eggs, crisps).

The business runs a direct-to-consumer hospitality model with five monetized streams: in-pub drink and food sales (transaction-fee pricing), group beer tastings (£20+ per person, minimum four guests), private venue hire for events seating 36–50+ guests, room bookings (£30 flat fee), and ticketed events (comedy, live music, quiz nights, sports viewing, tap takeovers) sold via Eventbrite. Booking and deposits are collected through book.thecraftbeerco.com, with card authorization requirements for larger Christmas and sports bookings. Distribution is purely physical across the owned estate; there is no e-commerce storefront for off-premise beer delivery, though an in-person takeaway service offering a 33% discount on bottles and cans exists. The technology stack is limited to a standard reservation system, with no proprietary platform, app, or AI capabilities identified.

Customer segments are horizontal and consumer-led: craft beer enthusiasts, private event hosts, entertainment seekers, and City of London workers. Marketing is event-driven (brewery tap takeovers, meet-the-brewer sessions, seasonal celebrations) and executed through location-specific social media accounts, a monthly email newsletter, and earned media coverage in publications including The Telegraph, Washington Times, Pub & Bar magazine, Shortlist, and Londist. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investment, no reported revenue, and 51–100 employees.

Name

The Craft Beer

Legal name

The Craft Beer Co.

Website

https://thecraftbeerco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Craft Beer Co. is an independent, founder-owned chain of craft beer pubs operating 10+ locations across London and Brighton since 2011, serving craft beer enthusiasts, city workers, and private event guests with 155 keg lines and 79 cask pumps across the estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer Pubs / Hospitality

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Taprooms & Brewpubs (CRANACAF)

Keywords

• Craft beer pubs
• Hospitality services
• Private event hire
• Beer tasting events
• Pub food and drinks

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drink Sales: Sales of craft beers (keg and cask), wines, spirits, and champagne across all pub locations.
2. Food Sales: Sales of snacks including Mr. Barrick's Pies, handmade scotch eggs, and artisan crisps and nuts.
3. Group Beer Tastings: Hosted group tasting sessions with 5 beers per session, includes brewing process education. Minimum 4 people required.
4. Private Hire: Exclusive venue hire for private events with minimum spend requirements. Various spaces available from 36 to 50+ people.
5. Room Booking: Booking of private rooms within pubs for smaller gatherings and business events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Craft Beer Co. operates a chain of independent craft beer pubs across London and Brighton, offering an extensive on-premise selection of keg beers, cask ales, bottled and canned craft beers, along with wines, spirits, and food. The company supplements its pub operations with hosted group beer tastings, private venue hire for events, and a calendar of live entertainment, quiz nights, and brewery tap takeovers. Founded in 2011, the estate collectively features 155 keg lines and 79 cask pumps.

Product overview

The Craft Beer Co. is an independent family business operating a chain of craft beer pubs across London since 2011, founded by Martin Hayes and Peter Slezak. The company offers a network of pub locations (Clerkenwell, The Bear Paddington, Brixton, Covent Garden, St. Mary Axe, Hammersmith, and The Clement Attlee) serving as beer lover destinations with extensive keg and cask beer selections, complemented by Group Beer Tastings, Private Hire services, and Events & Entertainment. Additional offerings include Takeaway Beer Sales with a 33% discount on bottles and cans, along with food service featuring pies, scotch eggs, and artisan snacks. The company's pubs collectively feature 155 keg lines and 79 cask pumps across their locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Craft Beer Co. Pub Chain (Drink and Food Service) On-premise drink and food service across a chain of independent craft beer pubs in London and Brighton. Offers an extensive selection of keg beers, cask ales, bottled and canned craft beers, wines, spirits, and champagne, alongside food including Mr. Barrick's pies, handmade scotch eggs, and artisan crisps and nuts. Estate-wide scale of 155 keg lines and 79 cask pumps.
• Group Beer Tastings
• Private Hire Exclusive private venue hire for events, parties, corporate functions, and celebrations across multiple pub locations. Spaces accommodate groups of 36 to 50+ guests and include dedicated private bar service. Pricing combines a venue hire fee with a minimum spend requirement behind the bar.
• Events & Entertainment Regular entertainment programme including brewery tap takeovers, meet-the-brewer sessions, live music (including Matt Owens every Thursday and resident DJs on Fridays at Brixton), quiz nights, comedy nights, karaoke, sports viewing, and seasonal celebrations such as the Craft100 Beer Festival. Some events are ticketed via Eventbrite.
• Takeaway Beer Sales On-premise takeaway service for bottled and canned craft beers, with a 33% discount available on takeaway purchases.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BrewDog: Scotland-based craft brewery that operates one of the largest craft beer bar networks globally, including numerous London locations. Most directly comparable peer given the combination of craft beer focus, multi-site bar/pub operation, and on-site tap programming.
• The Harp: Covent Garden craft beer pub consistently rated among London's best for cask and keg selection. Direct competitor in the same neighborhood, with similar positioning around beer variety and CAMRA recognition.
• The Euston Tap: Iconic London craft beer pub housed in historic gatehouses near Euston Station. Comparable for its standing offering of UK and international craft beers and similar enthusiast-focused positioning.

Emerging players

• Beavertown Brewery: London craft brewery with own taproom (Neck of the Woods) and Duke's Brew & Que operation. Comparable for combining craft beer production with curated on-premise venues, though vertical integration differs.
• Camden Town Brewery: London-based craft brewery with own taproom and brewery-fresh beer program. Comparable because it pairs craft beer curation with on-site drinking venues, though Camden owns the supply chain while Craft Beer Co. is a multi-brand curator.
• Anspach & Hobday: London craft brewery (Bermondsey) operating The Arch taproom. Comparable as a London craft beer venue combining brewery production with curated on-premise experience.
• Five Points Brewing: Hackney-based craft brewery with its own taproom. Comparable as a London craft beer destination combining brewery taps with broader curated selections.

Others

• Wetherspoons: UK's largest pub chain with broad national presence. Comparable as a multi-site pub operator at scale, though positioned at value end of market with broad alcohol offering rather than craft specialist.

Broad incumbents

• Young's: Historic London pub and brewery operator with premium central London venues. Comparable for multi-site London pub operation and brewing heritage, though portfolio spans traditional pubs rather than craft-only.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner: Established London-based brewer and pub operator with a large central London pub estate (including historic venues like The Admiralty). Comparable as a multi-site London pub operator, though its portfolio is broader and more traditional rather than craft-specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thecraftbeerco
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecraftbeerco
• Instagraminstagram.com/craftbeerco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-craft-beer-co-

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 The Craft Beer