What Pub is The Hub does

Pub is The Hub is a UK-registered not-for-profit organisation founded in 2001 by His Majesty King Charles III (then HRH the Prince of Wales) that provides free, independent specialist advisory services to rural publicans seeking to diversify their businesses into community assets such as village stores, cafés, libraries, post offices, community meeting rooms, play areas and other local services. The organisation operates a field-based delivery model through a national network of expert regional advisors who conduct in-person consultations and, where funding permits, direct applicants to the Community Services Fund — a grant programme established in 2013 offering grants of up to £4,000 per project. Headquartered in Harrogate, Yorkshire, with five employees and a largely voluntary delivery structure, Pub is The Hub additionally runs the 'Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness' initiative (launched 2019) and seasonal programmes such as Winter Warmers, Community Craft Boxes and Garden Boxes.

The business model is a pure donation-and-grant non-profit: the organisation does not charge licensees for its advisory services and does not generate commercial revenue. Income is sourced from UK government departments (Department for Business and Trade, Department for Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), the National Lottery Community Fund (£452,000 over three years from 2015), brewery and pub-company sponsors (Greene King, Heineken, Diageo, Marston's, Admiral Taverns, Amber Taverns, Punch Taverns, Stonegate, Robinsons, Wadworth, Theakston, Harveys, Enterprise Inns, Brewers Hall), trade associations (BBPA, BII), and individual supporters, with documented cumulative grant inflows in the high hundreds of thousands of pounds since 2012. The customer segments served are independent rural publicans (primary) and community groups seeking to take ownership of their local pub (secondary); documented beneficiaries span The Butchers Arms, The Rose & Crown, The Blue Bell, The George (multiple sites), the Marquis of Granby and many others across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Over its 25-year history the organisation reports having helped hundreds of pubs diversify, with a publicly stated ambition (subject to funding) to support 1,000 more pubs over the next three years. Strategic partnerships with BII (for community-ownership membership packages), BBPA (House of Commons showcases), Pub Aid, Creative Lives, the Licensed Trade Charity, Horticap and INN CROWD extend reach. Recognition includes the 2017 Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation/R&D) and two 2013 Publican Awards (Best Industry Initiative and Outstanding Industry Contribution to CEO John Longden OBE).

Name

Pub is The Hub

Legal name

Pub is The Hub

Website

https://pubisthehub.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pub is The Hub is a UK not-for-profit, founded in 2001 by King Charles III, that provides free specialist advisory services and small grants to rural publicans to diversify pubs into community assets such as shops, cafés and libraries, funded entirely by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Advisory Services

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

Keywords

• Rural pub diversification
• Community pub services
• Pub advisory services
• Community services fund
• Community ownership guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrogate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Pub is The Hub operates as a not-for-profit organization that relies totally on donations and grants to support its work. The organization receives support from sponsors and supporters including breweries, pub companies, and government bodies. Funding also comes from in-kind contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit organisation offering independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification. It helps rural pubs broaden their range of services so they can provide viable local services and activities that add social value to their communities, including support for community cafés, village stores, libraries, post offices, and community rooms.

Product overview

Pub is The Hub is a not-for-profit advisory organization that provides a portfolio of support services to help rural pubs diversify into community service hubs. The core offerings include the Community Services Fund (providing grants and advisory support for diversification projects), the Join Inn initiative (combating loneliness through community connection), and expert regional advisory services. Additional offerings include Community Ownership guidance, Winter Warmers seasonal support, Community Craft Boxes, and Garden Boxes. The organization connects pubs with funding sources and provides hands-on support for projects including village stores, cafes, libraries, post offices, and community facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness: An initiative launched in 2019 that supports publicans and people living in their local areas to become better connected and help alleviate loneliness.

Products and services

• Community Services Fund A grant programme established in 2013 providing financial support (grants up to £4,000) and advisory assistance to rural pubs seeking to diversify into new community services such as shops, cafes, libraries, and post offices.
• Advisory Services Free expert advice provided by regional advisors across the country to publicans looking to broaden their range of services and diversify their business to help local communities.
• Community Ownership Support Advice and guidance for local communities considering taking ownership of their local pub, including information on responsibilities, challenges, and options for community purchase.
• Join Inn – Last Orders for Loneliness An initiative launched in 2019 supporting publicans and community members to become better connected and alleviate loneliness through pub-based social activities and community engagement programmes.
• Winter Warmers A seasonal initiative providing warmth and social connection during winter months, particularly targeting isolated community members through pubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of pubs helped to diversify over 25 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• INN CROWDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration partner supporting the Join Inn - Last Orders for Loneliness initiative to help publicans and local residents become better connected.
• Creative LivescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration partner supporting creative activities in pubs to help bring communities together.
• Pub AidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration partner working to inspire publicans to provide services needed in rural and other areas.
• Licensed Trade CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration partner supporting publicans and pub workers.
• BII (British Institute of Innkeeping)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBII partnered with Pub is The Hub to offer bespoke membership packages to community groups looking to buy or operate their own local pub, including free year membership, online training, and mentor support.
• British Beer & Pub AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBBPA partnered with Pub is The Hub for events including House of Commons showcase to highlight invaluable services publicans offer local communities.
• HorticapminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnered with Pub is The Hub to provide Garden Boxes containing items to support pub garden upkeep, including spades, forks, gloves, plant pots, and seeds.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale): Large consumer-membership organization advocating for UK pubs and cask ale - overlapping mandate to preserve and strengthen the rural pub sector, though focused on policy and consumer campaigns rather than per-pub advisory.
• British Institute of Innkeeping (BII): Trade association providing training, membership, and business support to UK publicans - already a partner but comparable as a broader professional-services body serving the same licensee audience.
• Locality: National membership body for community-led organizations, including those running community-owned assets such as pubs - comparable as the umbrella support infrastructure for the same community-enterprise segment.

Others

• National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO): Umbrella body for the UK voluntary sector that supports charities with funding guidance, policy advocacy, and operational resources - relevant as the sector-wide infrastructure peer for any donation- and grant-funded UK nonprofit.
• Business in the Community: UK charity mobilizing businesses to address social issues including rural community needs - adjacent as a corporate-community-engagement partner that channels brewery/pub-company CSR funding to community-facing causes.
• Licensed Trade Charity: Charity providing welfare and hardship support to UK pub workers and licensees - serves a related (overlapping) industry audience and similarly relies on brewer sponsorship, with overlapping partnership footprint.

Direct peers

• Power to Change: Independent trust that funds and supports community businesses including community-owned pubs - comparable as a grant-making and advisory organization addressing rural community ownership, often overlapping on the same beneficiary pool as Pub is The Hub.
• Plunkett Foundation: UK charity specifically supporting community-owned pubs and shops - the most direct functional peer to Pub is The Hub's community ownership advisory and diversification advisory services, serving the same rural publican and community-owner customer base.

Emerging players

• Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE): England-wide federation of rural community councils supporting village services and community-led enterprises - operates in the same rural community-services space and supports overlapping themes of rural service sustainability.
• Pub Aid: Charity encouraging publicans to deliver community services including tackling loneliness - direct thematic overlap with Pub is The Hub's Join Inn initiative, and the two organizations already collaborate as partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pubisthehub_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/pubisthehub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pub-is-the-hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 is The Hub