North Bar

What North Bar does

North Bar is a privately held, independent multi-venue craft beer and cocktail bar operator headquartered in Leeds, West Yorkshire, founded in 1997. The company runs seven bar venues across four UK cities — Leeds (North Bar, Further North, Alfred, Preston), Harrogate, Otley (North Bar Social), and Manchester (Circle Square) — serving craft beer, cocktails, wine, spirits, and food under a table-service model. Ancillary revenue streams include private venue hire for corporate events, weddings, and parties, plus digital and physical gift cards.

The company's underlying technology is centred on the North Bar Rewards mobile application, developed by Zonal, which offers 5% cashback on purchases, 10% cashback at Koto Kitchen (Manchester food partner), surprise rewards, and exclusive event access. The app integrates with Braintree for payment processing and Toggle (Airship Services Ltd) for gift card fulfilment, with TLS/AES encryption standards. Marketing is conducted through the loyalty app, Mailchimp email newsletter, social media, and an editorial blog. North Bar also operates a separate North Hospitality Consulting division, led by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley, providing hospitality advisory services. The legal entity is North Bar Consulting Limited (UK company number 14954323), founder/management-owned, with no disclosed external investment.

Name

North Bar

Legal name

North Bar Consulting Limited

Website

https://northbar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Bar is an independent UK craft beer and cocktail bar operator founded in 1997, running seven neighbourhood-style venues across Leeds, Harrogate, Otley and Manchester under the North Bar Consulting Limited entity. It serves individual consumers with table-service food and drink, supported by a Zonal-built loyalty app, gift cards, and a hospitality consulting arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Bar and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer bars
• Cocktail bars
• Bar venue operations
• Private event hire
• Hospitality consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from serving craft beer, cocktails, wine, spirits, and food across 7 bar venues in Leeds, Harrogate, Otley, and Manchester.
2. Venue Hire and Private Events: Revenue from booking private hire spaces for events including corporate functions, weddings, birthdays, and parties across multiple venues.
3. Loyalty Program: 5% cashback rewards on purchases through the loyalty app, driving customer retention and repeat visits.
4. Gift Cards: Gift card sales including promotional offers such as 25% extra value during January-February 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

North Bar operates seven independent bar venues across Leeds, Harrogate, Otley, and Manchester (founded 1997), serving craft beer, cocktails, wine, spirits, no/low drinks, and food with table service. It sells digital gift cards, offers private venue hire for events, and runs a North Bar Rewards mobile loyalty app providing 5% cashback, table bookings, and member-exclusive promotions. The North Hospitality Consulting division additionally provides bespoke hospitality advisory services to other operators.

Product overview

North Bar is a multi-venue craft beer and cocktail bar chain operating 7 venues across Leeds, Harrogate, Otley, and Manchester since 1997. The core customer-facing products include the North Bar Rewards loyalty app (for cashback, bookings, and promotions) and individual bar venues. Additional offerings encompass venue hire for private events, digital gift cards, and North Hospitality Consulting for industry consultancy services. The portfolio spans from the original North Bar Leeds (Britain's first craft beer bar) to neighbourhood venues like Alfred (Meanwood), Preston (Oakwood), Further North (Chapel Allerton), and North Bar Social (Otley), as well as newer locations in Harrogate and Manchester's Circle Square.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• North Bar Rewards: Loyalty and rewards app offering 5% cashback on purchases, 10% cashback at Koto Kitchen, and exclusive member discounts.

Products and services

• North Bar Leeds The original North Bar venue on New Briggate, Leeds, founded in 1997 and claimed to be Britain's first craft beer bar. Features unparalleled drinks selection, Bloody Marys, Tequila Verdita, and an encyclopaedic beer cellar with table service for adult consumers.
• Further North A neighbourhood bar in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, with a cosy, homely atmosphere and an upstairs event space available for free private hire for parties, birthdays, and group events.
• Alfred A neighbourhood bar in Meanwood, Leeds, opened in 2011 with stylish 1950s-inspired decor, serving great beer, wine, and spirits, and pioneering Meanwood's food and drink scene.
• Preston A neighbourhood bar in Oakwood, Leeds, near Roundhay Park, offering table service, an in-house playlist, and a large south-facing sunny terrace.
• North Bar Social A neighbourhood bar in Otley with a large outdoor seating area and cosy upstairs function room, catering to cyclists, dog owners, and walkers with table service.
• North Bar Harrogate A bright bar in Harrogate with floor-to-ceiling windows, sunny outdoor seating, table service, and a private hire room.
• North Bar Circle Square (Manchester) A craft beer taproom in Manchester's Circle Square with table service, Negroni on tap, no/low alcohol options, a large outdoor terrace, and Pan-Asian food by Koto Kitchen.
• North Bar Rewards App A loyalty and rewards mobile app offering 5% cashback on purchases, 10% cashback at Koto Kitchen, free hot drink rewards, surprise rewards, special event access, exclusive perks, table bookings, digital gift card management, and Beer of the Month promotions. Rewards expire 12 months after earned date.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards for North Bar venues, available for purchase online with promotional bonus value offers (e.g., 25% extra value during January-February 2025). Processed securely via Toggle (Airship Services Ltd).
• Venue Hire Private hire and event booking services across North Bar venues including Harrogate, Manchester Circle Square, Further North, North Bar Social, and external events. Includes function rooms, full venue hire, partial hire, and table bookings.
• North Hospitality Consulting Hospitality consultancy led by John Gyngell and Christian Townsley, offering bespoke solutions for brand refinement, operational efficiency, and customer experience enhancement for hospitality businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% cashback rewards on purchases
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Jordan Legacy CICminorOthers · 1 January 2025North Bar's 2025 charity partner dedicated to suicide prevention and awareness. The company is raising £15,000 for the organisation. Founded in 2020, The Jordan Legacy receives no government funding, making partnerships essential to their mission.
• Koto KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreet food partner providing Pan-Asian cuisine at North Bar Circle Square Manchester. Serves Bahn Mi, Rice Bowls, Katsu Chicken, and other dishes. Also available for event catering with buffet options and sharing platters.
• Pizza PunksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPizza delivery partnership at North Bar Leeds. Customers can order pizzas and sides delivered to their table for in-venue dining.
• Toggle (Airship Services Ltd)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital gift card processing partner. Toggle securely handles customer information (name, email, order details) to deliver and manage gift cards on behalf of North Bar.
• BraintreecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment services provider for in-app purchases within the North Bar loyalty app. Processes credit card and payment transactions.
• ZonalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloper of the North Bar Rewards loyalty app. Processes data on behalf of North Bar for the mobile application.
• TagVenueminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVenue booking platform used for private event reservations at North Bar venues including Harrogate, Manchester Circle Square, Further North, and North Bar Social.
• Beak BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for These Hills Festival competition. Every pint of Fjords purchased through the app enters customers into a draw to win tickets to Beak Brewery's festival at Glynde Place, East Sussex (8-9 August 2026).
• Fyne AlesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeer of the Month partnership featuring Fyne Ales products. Every Jarl purchased through the app entered customers into a draw to win tickets to FyneFest 2026. Partnership includes May 2026 festival tickets giveaway.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Bundobust: Leeds-founded craft beer and Indian street food restaurant group, directly competing in the Leeds market for the same craft beer + food pairing customer that North Bar venues target.
• Ink & Oranges Group: Northern England independent bar and restaurant operator running venues such as The Victoria (Leeds) with table service craft beer offerings; comparable independent regional competitor in North Bar's core geography.
• Thornbridge Brewery Taprooms: Brewery-operated taprooms in the Midlands and Yorkshire serving craft beer and food; comparable regional competitor within the craft beer and taproom category that North Bar operates in.

Direct peers

• BrewDog: Scotland-founded craft beer bar and brewery chain operating large numbers of UK and international taproom-style venues, competing for the same craft beer enthusiast and casual dining customer as North Bar.
• Be At One: UK cocktail bar group with multiple sites focusing on high-volume cocktail service, comparable to North Bar's cocktail-driven venues such as Circle Square Manchester.
• Loungers plc: AIM-listed operator of neighbourhood bar-and-café venues (Lounge and Cosy Club formats) across the UK, comparable to North Bar as a multi-site independent hospitality group targeting local community trade.
• The Alchemist: UK cocktail-led bar and restaurant chain known for creative mixology, directly overlapping North Bar's craft-cocktail offering and multi-venue independent positioning.
• Head of Steam: Independent UK craft beer and real ale bar chain with multiple venues across northern England and Scotland, directly comparable to North Bar's craft-beer-led, multi-venue independent model.

Broad incumbents

• All Bar One: National UK bar-and-dining chain under Mitchells & Butlers offering cocktails, wine and food in a similar style to North Bar but with broader, less localised positioning and corporate ownership.
• JD Wetherspoon: Largest UK pub chain, offering on-premise alcoholic beverage service at scale; a broad incumbent competing for similar casual drinking occasions, though with a value-led model versus North Bar's craft positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-bar-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 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 North Bar