Pub & Bar Academy

What Pub & Bar Academy does

Pub & Bar Academy is a UK-based hospitality training provider founded in 2005 and headquartered in Rugby, Warwickshire, operating with a small team of approximately 8 employees under founding CEO Frazer Grant. The company delivers accredited RQF qualifications and bespoke learning programmes across the hospitality, events and leisure sectors, working with four awarding-body partners (BiiAB, Highfield, ILM, WSET) and three major UK pub company channel partners (Punch Pubs, Fuller's, Wells & Co). Its revenue is generated through two distinct streams: one-time-purchase self-serve virtual courses (e.g., ABCQ at £80, a free Sales & Service course) sold through an e-commerce catalogue on its website, and bespoke corporate content production / face-to-face training delivered on quotation to enterprise and mid-market clients, with custom green-screen branded video production as an add-on.

The technology stack is built around a virtual learning platform with e-commerce and certification delivery, supplemented by an in-house green-screen video production studio used to produce customised branded courseware. The website positions an 'AI Learning' product line as a differentiated offering; the company also integrates Insights Discovery psychological profiling into its L&D programmes. Accreditations from multiple UK awarding bodies provide the regulated backbone of the credentialing offering, while channel partnerships with major pub operators give the firm an embedded B2B distribution footprint in the UK licensed-trade market.

Go-to-market is hybrid: a self-serve, product-led growth motion drives individual and SMB course sales, while direct sales handle bespoke enterprise training contracts. The company supplements its owned digital channels with organic social presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, and uses a Linktree aggregation hub. No external funding, M&A activity, or leadership transitions beyond the founder have been disclosed, and the business has remained founder-led and privately held since inception.

Name

Pub & Bar Academy

Legal name

Pub & Bar Academy

Website

https://pubandbaracademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pub & Bar Academy is a UK-based, founder-led hospitality training provider that delivers accredited RQF qualifications and bespoke virtual and in-person training programmes to pubs, bars, restaurants, events and leisure operators, generating revenue from self-serve e-learning course sales and custom enterprise training contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage (Bartending/Mixology/Coffee/Tea) (EDAOAKAH)

Keywords

• Hospitality training courses
• Accredited RQF qualifications
• Virtual learning platform
• Beer and cellar training
• Staff development programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Course Sales: One-time purchase model for virtual courses sold directly through the website. Customers pay per course to access training content and certification upon completion.
2. Accredited Qualifications: Delivery of RQF accredited qualifications from awarding bodies such as BiiAB, Highfield, ILM, and WSET for hospitality professionals at all employment levels.
3. Custom Content Development: Creation of bespoke training content for clients including green screen video productions with custom branding for organizational training needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pub & Bar Academy is a UK-based hospitality training provider delivering accredited RQF qualifications and bespoke learning programmes for the hospitality, events, and leisure sectors. The company operates a virtual course catalogue with self-paced and tutor-led online courses (including the Level 2 ABCQ qualification), alongside nationally delivered face-to-face training and custom green screen video production services for client-branded training content.

Product overview

Pub & Bar Academy operates as a hospitality industry training platform offering a portfolio of virtual courses (ABCQ – Award in Beer and Cellar Quality, Sales & Service, and A.I. Learning), supplemented by certified in-person training and custom content creation services. The virtual course catalogue provides online learning with downloadable certifications, while the in-person training delivers accredited RQF qualifications from awarding bodies such as BiiAB, Highfield, ILM, and WSET. Custom branded video content is available as an add-on service for clients requiring bespoke training materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABCQ – Award in Beer and Cellar Quality A Level 2 virtual course accredited by the British Institute of Innkeeping covering cellar management, brewing processes, beer types, line cleaning, hygiene, and perfect serve techniques. Includes multiple choice assessment and downloadable certificate upon passing. Priced at £80 per course.
• Sales & Service Course A free professional development virtual course covering the 2026 guest mindset, visual and value audits, consultative upselling techniques, and guest experience consistency. Includes four modules and a final quiz with virtual certificate upon completion.
• A.I. Learning Courses AI-powered virtual training courses designed to revolutionize the learning experience for hospitality professionals. Marketed as a new form of virtual training within the course catalogue.
• Certified In-Person Training National provider of accredited RQF qualifications and face-to-face learning programmes for hospitality, events, and leisure industries. Delivered at various employment levels in partnership with awarding bodies including BiiAB, Highfield, ILM, and WSET.
• Custom Content Creation Bespoke green screen and video-based content creation service using a state-of-the-art studio to integrate client branding elements and custom backgrounds into high-quality training video productions for organizational clients.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Highfield QualificationscoreOthersAwarding body partner providing accredited qualifications. Pub & Bar Academy delivers Highfield-accredited training programmes for hospitality professionals.
• BiiAB (BIIAB)coreOthersAwarding body partner offering accredited qualifications. Pub & Bar Academy delivers BiiAB-recognised training for the licensed hospitality sector.
• ILMcoreOthersInstitute of Leadership & Management awarding body partner providing leadership and management qualifications delivered through Pub & Bar Academy programmes.
• WSETcoreOthersWine & Spirit Education Trust partner providing wine and spirits qualifications for hospitality professionals through Pub & Bar Academy.
• Punch PubsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor pub company partner. Pub & Bar Academy provides training services for Punch Pubs employees across their estate of managed and tenanted pubs.
• Fuller'smajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium pub company partner. Pub & Bar Academy delivers training and development programmes for Fuller's brewery and pub estate.
• Wells & ComajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrewery and pub company partner. Pub & Bar Academy provides training services for Wells & Co's pub portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Virtual College: UK e-learning provider focused on compliance and vocational training for the hospitality, retail and care sectors — a broader incumbent overlapping Pub & Bar Academy's enterprise compliance training use case.
• Reed Courses: UK's largest online course marketplace offering thousands of accredited and vocational courses — a broad incumbent competing for the same self-serve learner audience as Pub & Bar Academy.
• WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust): Globally recognised awarding body for wine and spirits qualifications — partner of Pub & Bar Academy, but also a broader incumbent that could compete or disintermediate delivery of WSET qualifications.

Direct peers

• HIT Training: Specialist UK hospitality apprenticeship and training provider offering accredited qualifications to pub, bar, and restaurant operators — overlapping with Pub & Bar Academy's RQF-delivery model.
• CPL Training: UK-based training provider delivering accredited and vocational courses across hospitality, leisure, and retail — the most direct UK-headquartered competitor to Pub & Bar Academy in the same segment.
• Inn-Dispensable: UK-based bartender and bar operations training specialist, directly comparable on the bar/beverage segment that anchors Pub & Bar Academy's ABCQ offering.
• Springboard UK: UK hospitality careers, training and workforce development charity — comparable as a training provider targeting the same pub, bar, restaurant and hotel operator audience.
• Flow Hospitality Training: UK hospitality-focused training provider delivering accredited qualifications and short courses to pub, restaurant and hotel operators, comparable in scale and product mix to Pub & Bar Academy.

Others

• BiiAB: Awarding body providing BII-recognised qualifications for the licensed hospitality sector and core accreditation partner of Pub & Bar Academy — an ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.
• Highfield Qualifications: UK awarding body and core accreditation partner of Pub & Bar Academy, supplying the RQF qualifications the company delivers. Comparable as ecosystem participant rather than direct training competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pubbaracademy_1
• Facebookfacebook.com/PubBarAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pub-&-bar-academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/pubandbaracademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Pub & Bar Academy