Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd

What Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd does

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd is a UK-based operator of premium neighbourhood pubs and pubs-with-rooms, founded in 2019 by Dan Shotton and Mark Draper, the former owners of Redcomb Pubs Ltd which they sold to Young & Co.'s Brewery for £34 million in 2019. The company operates five trading venues across Oxfordshire, Surrey, and London: The Evenlode (Eynsham, pub with rooms), The Victoria (Woodham, Victorian-era pub), The Blue Ball (Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey village pub), The Cambria (Camberwell, London), and The Joiners Arms (Bloxham, Grade II listed 16th century property). Each site offers food and beverage service built around locally sourced British pub classics, Sunday roasts, and a drinks range including local ales, fine wines, and premium spirits; The Evenlode also operates 7 en-suite bedrooms with plans to expand to 24, while several venues host private dining and events.

The business model is direct-to-consumer physical hospitality: walk-in trade at owned and operated pub restaurants, supplemented by on-site accommodation at The Evenlode and private dining/event hire at multiple sites. Sites are acquired as freehold or free-of-tie lease properties and refurbished at material capital outlay (e.g., £250k at The Blue Ball, £600k+ at The Cambria, £1.2m planned at The Evenlode). A core strategic relationship is the joint venture and co-investment partnership with Star Pubs & Bars, the Heineken-owned pub company, which provides capital for site acquisitions and refurbishments in exchange for the sites being operated within the Star managed estate. The company is privately held by its founders with no institutional investor involvement disclosed. The group has 15 head-office employees with additional site-level hospitality staff; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is wholly physical, with no online ordering, delivery, or third-party channels; marketing is executed through each pub's own website, social media (Facebook, Twitter), and a MailChimp newsletter.

Name

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd

Legal name

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd

Website

https://prospectpubs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd is a privately held UK operator of five premium neighbourhood pubs and pubs-with-rooms across Oxfordshire, Surrey, and London, founded in 2019 by the ex-Redcomb Pubs founders, partnered with Heineken's Star Pubs & Bars, and serving walk-in diners, local families, and leisure/business travellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pub and Restaurant Hospitality

NAICS

Food Services and Drinking Places (722), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Beer Bars & Taprooms (THAFAEAG), Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

Keywords

• Pub and bar operations
• Neighbourhood pub restaurant
• Pubs with rooms
• Hospitality venue operator
• Food and beverage service

Headquarters

HQ city

Swanley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Primary revenue from operating pub restaurants offering food and drinks. All five venues (The Evenlode, The Victoria, The Blue Ball, The Cambria, The Joiners Arms) generate revenue through restaurant dining, bar sales, and pub classics.
2. Accommodation/Room Sales: The Evenlode offers 7 en-suite double and twin bedrooms. The Evenlode was planned to add 24 boutique en-suite bedrooms as part of the £1.2m renovation. Revenue from overnight stays for business and leisure guests.
3. Events and Private Dining: Venues offer private dining rooms and event spaces. The Victoria has a private dining area; The Cambria has upgraded private dining room with space for 40 seated diners, private bar and bespoke menus.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd is a UK-based multi-site pub operator that acquires, refurbishes, and runs a portfolio of premium neighbourhood pubs and pubs-with-rooms across Oxfordshire, Surrey, the Berkshire/Surrey border, and London. The company delivers dine-in food and beverage service, on-site accommodation at select venues, private dining and event hosting, and a loyalty programme, with all revenue generated through direct-to-consumer operations at its owned venues.

Product overview

Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd operates a portfolio of traditional British pubs and pubs with rooms across Oxfordshire, Surrey, and London. The group currently operates five venues (The Evenlode, The Victoria, The Blue Ball, The Cambria, and The Joiner's Arms), each offering food, drinks, and some with accommodation. The portfolio includes both historic freehold properties and leased sites, with plans for continued expansion of 5-7 sites per year. Each pub operates independently with its own menu featuring locally sourced British pub classics, Sunday roasts, and destination-specific dining options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Evenlode Iconic 1930s landmark pub located on the A40 between Oxford and Witney, offering homemade pub classics, award-winning local ales, fine wines, and 7 en-suite double and twin bedrooms for overnight guests (business and leisure travellers visiting the Oxford/Cotswolds area).
• The Victoria Victorian family-friendly pub dating back to 1861 in Woodham, Addlestone, featuring a large dining room, bar area, terrace for alfresco dining, a private dining area, and a child-friendly garden. Menu includes pub classics, Sunday roasts, fine dining options, and an extended grill section.
• The Blue Ball Traditional Surrey village pub overlooking the village pond in Walton-on-the-Hill, featuring rustic décor, thatched outdoor huts with heaters, dining room, bar, and a children's play area. Menu includes pub classics, Sunday roasts, and fine dining options.
• The Cambria South East London pub in Camberwell featuring a bright garden room, lofty bar and lounge, and festoon-lit front terrace. Offers pub classics, international small plates, plant-based options, Sunday roasts, and Brixton Brewery craft beers, with an upgraded private dining room seating 40 with private bar.
• The Joiners Arms 16th century Grade II listed pub in Bloxham near Banbury, featuring an orangery restaurant for 130 covers, bar, snug, private dining room, and an extended terrace patio with a children's play area. Menu includes locally sourced British pub classics, gastro options, and Sunday roasts.
• Diamond Club Loyalty Programme Loyalty card programme offering monthly changing offers across the pub estate. Card must be presented at purchase and cannot be used in conjunction with other discounted food offers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Young & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C.minorOthers · 1 January 2019In 2019, Prospect founders Dan Shotton and Mark Draper sold their previous business, Redcomb Pubs Ltd (estate of 15 pubs and pubs with rooms) to Young's Brewery for £34 million. This sale provided capital and credibility for the launch of Prospect Pubs & Bars.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Direct peers

• Brunning & Price: Premium neighbourhood pub and restaurant operator owned by The Restaurant Group, focused on character properties across the UK. Closely comparable to Prospect Pubs in concept (heritage buildings, local food, family-friendly), positioning, and customer base.
• Hall & Woodhouse: Family-owned Dorset brewer and pub operator with a portfolio of premium food-led pubs, including pubs with rooms. Comparable in size segment, premium positioning, and emphasis on heritage sites and locally sourced food.
• Heartstone Inns: Boutique pub operator with a small portfolio of premium food-led pubs in the Home Counties and Oxfordshire. Closely comparable in scale, site selection (historic buildings), and premium neighbourhood positioning.
• Peach Pubs: Independent pubco operating premium neighbourhood pubs and pubs with rooms across the Home Counties and Oxfordshire. Highly comparable in site selection (historic buildings, affluent catchments), food-led positioning, and rooms offering.

Broad incumbents

• Greene King (owned by CK Asset Holdings): One of the UK's largest pub operators, with a managed and tenanted estate including premium neighbourhood pubs. Comparable as a potential acquirer or competitor for premium freehold sites, particularly in the South East.
• Marston's PLC: Large UK pub and brewer operator with a nationwide managed and franchised estate. Broader and more scale-driven than Prospect but competing for the same acquisition targets and consumer occasions across the UK.
• Young & Co.'s Brewery, P.L.C. London-listed pub operator that acquired the founders' previous Redcomb Pubs estate for £34M in 2019. Directly comparable as a premium pub and pub-with-rooms operator with a multi-site managed and tenanted estate across southern England; the natural acquirer for a scaled Prospect Pubs estate.
• Mitchells & Butlers PLC: FTSE-listed operator of All Bar One, Ember Inns, Toby Carvery and other pub/restaurant brands. Comparable as a managed pub operator with overlapping customer demographics, even though its portfolio is much larger and more brand-driven.
• Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. AIM-listed brewer and pub operator with a premium managed pub estate in southern England. Comparable as a heritage pubco with a managed/tenanted model and an active M&A appetite in the same geographies as Prospect Pubs.

Others

• Star Pubs & Bars (Heineken UK): Heineken-owned UK pub operator that is Prospect's JV co-investor at The Victoria and The Cambria. Highly relevant as a capital partner and pipeline source for future sites, even though it sits upstream of Prospect in the operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/prospectpubs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProspectPubs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prospect-pubs-bars-ltd

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 Prospect Pubs & Bars Ltd