What RLBS does

RLBS Ltd is a UK-based specialist in beer and soft drinks dispense equipment, operating from Wrexham (head office and gas regulator operations) and Keighley (cask equipment manufacturing) since 1982. The company designs, manufactures, supplies, and refurbishes gas regulators, hand pumps, dispense fonts, cellar equipment, pipework and consumables, and John Guest push-fit fittings, serving the licensed trade including pubs, clubs, craft and independent breweries, and hospitality venues. Its core technical differentiator is being the largest UK re-manufacturer of primary and secondary mixed and CO2 reducing valves and the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of IMI Cornelius, IMI Norgren, and GCE Valves, supported by ISO9001:2015 accreditation and BBPA code of practice compliance.

The business model combines one-time product sales (hand pumps from ~£159 refurbished to ~£175+ new, regulators from £22 to £97, spares from under £1) with a refurbishment service that restores equipment to 'As New' standard, generating an environmental and cost-saving alternative revenue stream. RLBS distributes primarily through its own e-commerce website with trade account functionality and serves a long-tail of UK licensed trade customers rather than any single anchor account. The company has expanded selectively via the 2020 acquisition of EWL (England Worthside Ltd), the 2025 launch of a 500+ product catalogue with new cask aspirator systems, and ongoing industry sponsorships such as SIBA's Indie Beer competitions, while remaining a domestically focused, privately held operator with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external institutional investment.

Name

RLBS

Legal name

RLBS Ltd

Website

https://rlbs.ltd.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RLBS is a UK-based specialist that designs, manufactures, and refurbishes beer and soft drinks dispense equipment, including gas regulators, hand pumps, fonts, and cellar equipment, serving pubs, clubs, craft breweries, and hospitality venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrexham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of new beer and soft drinks dispense equipment including hand pumps, gas regulators, fonts, cellar equipment, and accessories.
2. Refurbishment Services: High-spec refurbishment service restoring equipment to 'As New' standard. Environmental and cost-saving alternative to purchasing new equipment.
3. Parts and Spares: Sale of replacement parts, spares, and consumables for dispense equipment including seals, cylinders, and connectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RLBS designs, manufactures, supplies, and refurbishes beer and soft drink dispense equipment for the UK licensed trade. Core product categories include gas regulators (CO2 and mixed gas-reducing valves), hand pumps and beer engines (with cylinderless technology), dispense fonts, cellar equipment, pipework and John Guest push-fit fittings. The company is the largest UK re-manufacturer of primary and secondary mixed and CO2 reducing valves and the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of IMI Cornelius, IMI Norgren and GCE Valves.

Product overview

RLBS (formerly Richard Llewellyn Brewery Service) is a UK-based beer and soft drink dispense equipment specialist offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offering consists of six main product categories: Gas Regulators & Accessories (primary, secondary, and high pressure regulators, changeover valves, and aspirators), Hand Pumps & Accessories (traditional-style handpulls with modern cylinderless technology including Angram and Paragon Plus branded products), Dispense Fonts & Accessories (high quality fonts and tap accessories), Cellar Equipment & Accessories (keg/cask taps, extraction, cooling, connectors, pumps, and tools), Pipework & Consumables (casings, fittings, and python beer line systems), and John Guest Push-Fit Pipe Fittings (complete range of push-fit connectors). Additionally, they offer equipment refurbishment services and sell clearance/overstock items. RLBS is the largest UK re-manufacturer of primary and secondary mixed and CO2 reducing valves, and holds ISO9001:2015 quality accreditation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gas Regulators & Accessories Primary, secondary and high pressure regulators, changeover valves and aspirators for gas dispense systems. RLBS is the largest UK re-manufacturer of primary and secondary mixed and CO2 reducing valves, and the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of IMI Cornelius, IMI Norgren and GCE Valves.
• Hand Pumps & Accessories Traditional-style hand-pulls incorporating modern cylinderless technology, including Angram and Paragon Plus branded beer engines and handpull spares for cask ale dispense, plus gas-assisted G56 beer pump.
• Dispense Fonts & Accessories High-quality fonts used across bars, including clamp-on fonts, direct mount fonts, and associated tap accessories for beer and beverage dispense. Designed, manufactured and refurbished in-house.
• Cellar Equipment & Accessories Below-bar equipment from keg and cask ale taps (Sankey S-Type and Grundy G-Type couplers), extraction (FleXractor, Cask Widge, cask aspirators, TPI), cooling equipment, connectors, pumps, spares and tools.
• Pipework & Consumables Cask condition pegs, equipment, pipe-work, fittings and python beer line systems for beverage dispense from source to destination.
• John Guest Push-Fit Pipe Fittings Complete range of John Guest push-fit fittings including straight connectors, elbow connectors, tee connectors, reducers, and adapters for imperial and metric pipework, with volume discounts available.
• Back Bar Equipment, Clearance & Overstock Back bar equipment including drip trays, service bells, optic spirits systems, and discounted clearance and overstock items.
• Equipment Refurbishment Service High-specification refurbishment service that restores beer and soft drinks dispense equipment to 'As New' standard, reducing scrappage and providing a budget-saving and environmentally friendly alternative to purchasing new equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment restored to 'As New' standard
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 May 2026RLBS proudly sponsors SIBA's 2026 Indie Beer competitions, supporting regional and national beer competitions to recognise exceptional beer and brewery achievements.
• England Worthside Ltd (EWL)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2020RLBS purchased the manufacturing and equipment supply portion of EWL, including all IP, enabling continuation of supply for previous EWL customers and projects.
• IMI CorneliuscoreTechnology or IntegrationRLBS is the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of IMI Cornelius valves and equipment.
• IMI NorgrencoreTechnology or IntegrationRLBS is the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of IMI Norgren valves and equipment.
• GCE ValvescoreTechnology or IntegrationRLBS is the UK sole authorised independent re-manufacturer of GCE Valves.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lancer Beverage Systems: Manufacturer of beverage dispense equipment and post-mix systems for soft drinks and beer. Comparable to RLBS in the dispense-equipment niche with overlapping product categories (valves, fonts, dispense towers) and shared hospitality customers.
• Innserve: UK-based beverage dispense services and equipment provider to the licensed trade. Directly comparable to RLBS as a UK-focused dispense-equipment specialist and is even referenced in RLBS's award history (Supplier of the Year 2018 from Innserve).
• Micro Matic: Global manufacturer and supplier of beverage dispense equipment including draft beer systems, valves, regulators, fonts and gas equipment. Directly comparable to RLBS across product categories (hand pumps, regulators, fonts, cellar equipment) and customer base (pubs, breweries, hospitality).

Others

• John Guest: Manufacturer of push-fit pipe fittings and connectors widely used in beverage dispense installations and resold by RLBS. Comparable as a supplier of complementary dispense-system components rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Bürkert: Manufacturer of fluid control systems including solenoid valves, process valves and gas regulation components. Comparable to RLBS in gas regulation and valve manufacturing, with overlap on CO2 and mixed-gas reducing valve technology.
• Bevco Worldwide: Manufacturer of beverage dispense equipment and bar accessories for the foodservice and hospitality industries. Comparable to RLBS in dispense equipment, fonts and bar-side product offerings targeting pubs, bars and restaurants.
• Watson-Marlow: Specialist manufacturer of pumps and fluid handling equipment including peristaltic and metering pumps. Comparable to RLBS in pump manufacturing and fluid handling expertise, though focused on industrial and process applications rather than hospitality dispense.

Broad incumbents

• IMI plc: Global engineering group and parent of IMI Cornelius and IMI Norgren, both of which RLBS is the sole UK authorised independent re-manufacturer for. Comparable as a manufacturer of fluid control and dispense components, but operating at vastly larger scale and across multiple industrial verticals.
• Alfa Laval: Global supplier of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling equipment including pumps and valves for hygienic applications. Comparable to RLBS in fluid handling and hygienic process equipment, but operating at industrial scale across multiple end markets including beverage.
• Cornelius (IMI Cornelius): Global supplier of beverage dispense and gas regulation equipment, and one of RLBS's named OEM partners. Comparable in dispense and CO2 regulation product lines, but operates at much larger scale and globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RLBSltd
• Xx.com/rlbsltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 RLBS