Allens

What Allens does

Allens (trading as Allens Hire) is a UK-based event catering equipment and furniture rental company that serves professional caterers, event organisers, venues, and private clients across the South of England. The company operates from a headquarters and warehouse in Hounslow (London) and four additional regional warehouses in Southampton, Bristol, Luton, and Exeter, providing delivery and collection services to event venues across its operating area. Its core product portfolio spans eight categories: china, cutlery, glassware, furniture, linen, kitchen equipment, bar equipment, and lounge concepts, complemented by curated event styling themes such as Black Tie, Retro, Bohemian, Vintage, and Modern.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer rental business through its e-commerce website at allenshire.co.uk, built on Next.js with Azure cloud infrastructure and Sagepay for payment processing. Customers can browse the catalogue, place orders online, and arrange delivery/collection, with telephone support available for complex or modified orders. The inventory includes premium brands such as Riedel, Villeroy & Boch, Robert Welch, William Edwards, Jars, Chef & Sommelier, Blue Seal, Victor, and Elia, positioning Allens at the upper end of the regional event hire market. Allens has been recognised as SafeHire Event Hire Company of the Year in both 2024 and 2025, and won the HAOE Hire Awards in 2025 and the HAE EHA Hire Awards in 2024.

Allens generates revenue through transaction-based rental fees on individual items and sets, with pay-as-you-go unit pricing (for example, Villeroy & Boch plates from £1.63-£1.95 each, Riedel glassware from £2.50-£3.14 each). The customer base is distributed across three primary segments — professional caterers and event organisers, venue partners, and private clients — with use cases spanning weddings, corporate events, conferences, galas, festivals, and private celebrations. The company is privately held with no disclosed ownership, funding, headcount, or revenue figures.

Name

Allens

Website

https://allenshire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Allens (Allens Hire) is a UK event catering equipment and furniture rental company operating from five warehouses across Southern England, serving caterers, event organisers, venues, and private clients with premium-brand tableware, furniture, linen, and kitchen equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Equipment Rental

NAICS

General Rental Centers (5323), All Other Consumer Goods Rental (532289), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Catering Equipment, Rentals & Setup (Non-decor) (HSACAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Furniture Rentals (Tables, Chairs, Lounge) (HSACAFAB), Outdoor Event Equipment Rentals (Umbrellas, Patio Heaters, Fire Pits) (HSACAFAL)

Keywords

• Event equipment hire
• Catering equipment rental
• Tableware hire
• Event furniture rental
• Linen hire services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hounslow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment and Furniture Rental: Allens generates revenue primarily through renting catering equipment (crockery, cutlery, glassware), furniture (chairs, tables), linen, bar equipment, and kitchen equipment to customers for events. The rental is temporary, with delivery and collection services included.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Allens rents catering equipment and furniture for events, including china, cutlery, glassware, chairs, tables, linen, bar equipment, and commercial kitchen equipment. The company delivers and collects items from event venues across the South of England from warehouses in London, Southampton, Bristol, Luton, and Exeter, and also offers curated event styling themes and a Quick Order service for rapid product selection.

Product overview

Allens is an award-winning event and catering equipment hire company operating as a single unified service platform offering comprehensive event equipment rentals. The core product portfolio spans eight main categories: China Hire, Cutlery Hire, Glassware Hire, Furniture Hire (chairs, tables, and outdoor furniture), Linen Hire (including the Bella Linen Collection), Kitchen Equipment Hire (commercial refrigeration and cooking appliances), Bar Equipment Hire, and Lounge Concept. These products are complemented by curated Event Themes (such as Denim, Gold Plate, Chantilly, Botleys, Conference, Ginseng On Cotswolds, Gold, and Amber Lakes) that provide coordinated styling guidance for events. The Quick Order service enables rapid product selection. The company operates from warehouses in London, Southampton, Bristol, Luton, and Exeter, serving venues throughout the South of England and beyond, and has earned SafeHire Event Hire Company of the Year awards for 2024 and 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• China Hire Ceramic and porcelain tableware including plates, bowls, and platters available for event rental.
• Cutlery Hire Complete range of dining cutlery including forks, knives, and spoons for events.
• Glassware Hire Various glassware including wine glasses, champagne flutes, tumblers, and specialised glasses for events.
• Furniture Hire Event furniture including chairs, tables, and outdoor garden furniture for events.
• Linen Hire Table linens including the Bella Linen Collection available in 19 colours and 4 sizes.
• Kitchen Equipment Hire Commercial kitchen equipment including fridges, freezers, ovens, and electrical appliances for event catering.
• Bar Equipment Hire Bar setup equipment for serving drinks at events.
• Lounge Concept Lounge furniture and concepts for event styling.
• Event Themes Curated event styling concepts including Denim, Gold Plate, Chantilly, Botleys, Conference, Ginseng On Cotswolds, Gold, and Amber Lakes themes that provide coordinated styling guidance.
• Quick Order Streamlined ordering feature for fast product selection and ordering for repeat or time-sensitive customers.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• RiedelminorOthersPremium glassware brand stocked by Allens for event hire. Riedel is known for its specialized wine glass designs.
• William EdwardsminorOthersLuxury tableware brand whose products are available for hire through Allens.
• Robert WelchminorOthersPremium cutlery and kitchenware brand stocked by Allens for event hire.
• Villeroy & BochminorOthersLuxury tableware and glassware brand whose products (e.g., Rock, Vogue collections) are available for hire through Allens.
• JarsminorOthersFrench tableware brand stocked by Allens for event hire.
• Chef & SommelierminorOthersFrench glassware and tableware brand available for hire through Allens.
• Blue SealminorOthersCommercial kitchen equipment brand stocked by Allens for event hire.
• VictorminorOthersKitchen equipment brand available for hire through Allens.
• EliaminorOthersCutlery brand stocked by Allens for event hire.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chair Hire Ltd: UK specialist in event chair and furniture hire for weddings and corporate events — a focused competitor in Allens' furniture hire category.
• Premier Tableware Hire: Specialist UK tableware and event equipment hire company offering crockery, glassware, cutlery, and furniture — closely comparable in product mix and customer base to Allens.
• Event Hire UK: National UK event equipment hire company offering furniture, tableware, and catering equipment for corporate events, weddings, and private parties — competing with Allens across most product categories.
• Crockery & Co: UK event hire specialist focused on tableware, glassware, and catering equipment rental — directly comparable to Allens' china, cutlery, and glassware hire offerings.
• Brasserie Events Hire: Premium event hire company in the UK offering china, glassware, cutlery, and furniture for high-end weddings and corporate events — a direct competitor in the premium tier of the event hire market.
• Hanson Event Hire: UK event hire company providing catering equipment, tableware, glassware, and furniture for weddings and corporate events — overlapping heavily with Allens' product portfolio and target customer base.
• Classic Crockery: UK-based event hire company specializing in china, cutlery, glassware, and tableware rental — directly competing with Allens in the same product categories and customer segments (caterers, venues, private clients).

Broad incumbents

• Marquee & Event Hire (UK): Established UK event hire provider offering marquees, furniture, catering equipment, and styling — broader portfolio than Allens but overlapping on event furniture and catering equipment categories.
• Hireall: Irish/UK general equipment hire company with a catering and events division — broader rental portfolio but overlapping with Allens on event furniture and catering equipment for events.

Regional players

• Berkshire Catering Equipment Hire: Regional event catering equipment hire company in the South of England offering tableware, glassware, and kitchen equipment — competing with Allens in overlapping South-East geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/allenshire
• Facebookfacebook.com/AllensHire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allens-catering-equipment-&-furniture-hire
• Instagraminstagram.com/allens_hire

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 Allens