The Umbrella Project

What The Umbrella Project does

The Umbrella Project is a London-based hospitality collective founded in 2013 by three friends, operating a hybrid business that combines physical cocktail bars with a curated online spirits shop. The company runs five physical venues in London with a sixth scheduled to open in Spring 2025, alongside an e-commerce platform offering 933+ products including bottled cocktails and premium spirits. Its online catalog features category-leading specialty collections, notably London's largest Irish whiskey assortment (300+ bottles) and the world's largest Poitín collection (42 varieties), positioning the business as a destination retailer in niche spirits categories rather than a generalist.

The company generates revenue through two complementary channels: on-premise hospitality revenue from its London bars and direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of premium spirits, including international shipping. The dual-channel model allows the physical venues to function as brand-building and discovery assets that support online conversion, while the e-commerce platform extends reach beyond London without proportional capital expenditure. The business is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding and no parent organization, and operates with a small core team in the 1-10 employee firmographic band that reportedly carries 30+ years of combined hospitality and spirits expertise.

Beyond its UK base, the company has begun extending internationally through an export shipping capability, collaborations with internationally recognized bars (including Dead Rabbit in New York and Two Schmucks), and a hotel project in Tulum, Mexico (Casa Pueblo). These moves signal a strategic intent to evolve from a London-focused hospitality operator into a multi-geography spirits and hospitality brand, though the international footprint remains early-stage and execution risk is elevated by the small team size relative to the breadth of initiatives underway.

Name

The Umbrella Project

Legal name

The Umbrella Project

Website

https://theumbrellaproject.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Umbrella Project is a London-based hospitality collective founded in 2013 that operates specialty cocktail bars alongside a curated e-commerce spirits shop featuring London's largest Irish whiskey collection and the world's largest Poitín collection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality and Beverage Retail

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Beverages (2080), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ), Bulk / Private Label Alcohol Production & Brands (CRADAIAJ), Cocktail Experiences (Mixology Classes, Cocktail Tours) (THAJAGAG), Bar & Beverage Catering (Mobile Bar, Bartending) (HSACAGAF)

Keywords

• Cocktail bars
• Bottled cocktails
• Craft spirits retail
• Hospitality consultancy
• Online off-licence

Headquarters

HQ city

Shoreditch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Bar Operations: Revenue from on-premise consumption at multiple bar venues including Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern, Umbrella Workshop, Umbrella Cider House, and Parasol
2. E-commerce Sales: Online shop selling bottled cocktails, cocktail kits, spirits, wine, ciders, and barware with delivery to UK and international customers. Shop open 7 days a week, 365 days per year with 933 products
3. Hospitality Consultancy: Operations consultancy, events hire, drinks and menu design for hotels, bars, and restaurants. Includes bar hire, cider truck hire, and event services
4. Tasting Sessions: Whiskey, Poitín, and Agave tasting sessions at The Umbrella Workshop, priced at £65 per person, held weekly on Saturdays
5. Venue Hire and Private Events: Private hire of bars for events, photoshoots, filming, and training days. Includes Justine the MG Midget 1979 for hire

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Umbrella Project runs a collective of five cocktail bars in East London — Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern, Umbrella Workshop, Umbrella Cider House, and Parasol — alongside a direct-to-consumer online shop selling bottled cocktails, cocktail kits, own-brand Umbrella London ciders and ginger beer, and a curated range of craft spirits and wines. The group also sells tasting sessions and offers B2B operations consultancy, drinks and menu design, and private venue hire for events, photoshoots, filming, and training days.

Product overview

The Umbrella Project is a hospitality collective founded in 2013 operating an integrated platform of award-winning neighbourhood bars, an online off-licence, and event services. The core offering consists of five physical venues (Umbrella Workshop, Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern, Umbrella Cider House, and Parasol opening Spring 2025), complemented by an e-commerce shop selling 933+ products including bottled cocktails, cocktail kits, own-brand Umbrella London ciders and ginger beer, and an extensive selection of Irish whiskey (300+ bottles, London's largest), Poitín (42 varieties, world's largest), vintage spirits, wines, and artisanal spirits. The platform also includes Umbrella Radio for music curation and tasting/consultancy services. The company champions local and independent producers, offering both physical venue experiences and nationwide delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Umbrella Workshop: Interactive development and tasting room and retail shop located in Shoreditch
• Discount Suit Company
• The Sun Tavern
• Umbrella Radio
• Umbrella London
• Umbrella Cider House
• Parasol
• Casa Pueblo

Products and services

• Discount Suit Company Neighborhood cocktail bar in East London; the first venue opened by The Umbrella Project, serving cocktails to walk-in consumers.
• The Sun Tavern East London cocktail bar operated under The Umbrella Project, serving cocktails to on-premise consumers.
• Umbrella Workshop Combined bar and spirits retail shop operated by The Umbrella Project, offering cocktails on-premise alongside walk-in retail of craft spirits.
• Umbrella Cider House Dedicated cider-focused bar venue in East London operated under The Umbrella Project, serving ciders including the group's own Umbrella London range.
• Parasol Newest East London cocktail bar opened by The Umbrella Project in summer 2025, serving cocktails to walk-in consumers.
• Bottled Cocktails Direct-to-consumer line of bottled cocktails, stabilized for shipping, priced at £16 each and available through the group's online shop with UK and international delivery.
• Cocktail Kits Multi-format cocktail kits sold direct-to-consumer via the online shop, ranging in price from £20 to £400, for at-home cocktail making.
• Umbrella London Ciders and Ginger Beer Own-brand range of ciders and ginger beer produced under the Umbrella London label, sold through the online shop and Umbrella Cider House.
• Tasting Sessions Bookable tasting experiences held at Umbrella Project venues, priced at £65 per person, for consumers seeking guided cocktail or spirit tastings.
• Hire and Consultancy Services B2B service covering operations consultancy, events hire, drinks and menu design for hotels, bars, and restaurants, and private hire of bars for events, photoshoots, filming, and training days.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 world-renowned venue collaborations in 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Dead Rabbit NYCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's best bar (former) with whom The Umbrella Project has collaborated over the past five years as part of their international partnership ethos supporting like-minded independent businesses
• Two SchmucksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarcelona-based bar with whom The Umbrella Project has collaborated on projects
• Foco BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarcelona bar included in The Umbrella Project's international collaboration network over 5 years
• Supernova Ballroom TorontominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToronto venue with whom The Umbrella Project has collaborated internationally
• Three Sheets LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon bar with multi-award winning reputation, part of international collaboration network
• Candelaria ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParis bar included in The Umbrella Project's collaborative network spanning Europe and USA
• Lulu Whites BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin drinking club with whom The Umbrella Project has collaborated
• Wax On BerlinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin bar with multi-award winning reputation included in collaboration network
• Panda & Sons EdinburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh bar completing The Umbrella Project's UK and international collaboration network
• Hugo Meyer Esquerré / Provisions LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Hugo Meyer Esquerré from Provisions London to develop the wine list - same wines available at Discount Suit Company, The Sun Tavern, and online shop
• East London Liquor CocoreTechnology or IntegrationLocal East London gin and spirits producer whose products are featured in cocktails and sold through the shop. Used in signature cocktails like East London Negroni
• Victory Distillery (E17)coreTechnology or IntegrationLocal distillery in E17 whose spirits are used in cocktails and sold in the shop
• Ocho Tequila (La Altena)coreTechnology or IntegrationMexican tequila producers who are friends of The Umbrella Project. Ocho Blanco Tequila is used in Umbrella Margarita
• QuiQuiriQui Mezcal (Matalan)coreTechnology or IntegrationMexican mezcal producers from Matalan. QuiQuiriQui products are featured in their agave tastings and sold in shop
• Teeling WhiskeycoreTechnology or IntegrationIrish whiskey producer. Teeling Small Batch Whiskey used in Irish Old Fashioned cocktail. Special gift boxes created together
• Casa Pueblo TulumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel and pool bar project in Tulum, Mexico. 16-room boutique hotel with pool bar, restaurant, and rooftop venue. Operations Director Andy Kerr led the project

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Happiness Forgets: Award-winning independent London cocktail bar (Soho). Direct comparable on neighbourhood cocktail bar positioning, accessible pricing ethos, and spirit-forward cocktails similar to Discount Suit Company.
• Nightjar: Award-winning London cocktail bar (Shoreditch) operating as a neighbourhood cocktail destination with live music programming and premium spirits focus — directly comparable to Discount Suit Company and The Sun Tavern in format, audience, and awards positioning.
• Coupette: Award-winning London cocktail bar in Soho with French-influenced cocktails. Comparable independent neighbourhood cocktail operator with similar pricing and cocktail-kit/D2C adjacencies in the London market.
• NIO Cocktails: Premium pre-bottled cocktail brand shipped direct-to-consumer across Europe. Directly comparable to The Umbrella Project's bottled cocktail e-commerce stream — both sell pre-bottled classic cocktails for home consumption via e-commerce.
• Mr Lyan (Lyaness, Seed): Ryan Chetiyawardana's London cocktail bar group (Lyaness at Sea Containers, Seed). Multi-venue London cocktail operator with brand collaborations and a strong international reputation — direct comparable on cocktail quality, international acclaim, and multi-venue rollout.
• Three Sheets London: Award-winning neighbourhood cocktail bar in London, part of The Umbrella Project's own collaboration network. Closely comparable neighbourhood-format operator with similar pricing and brand ethos.

Emerging players

• World of Zing: UK-based premium spirits curator and online retailer with curated tastings and hospitality collaborations. Comparable D2C premium spirits marketplace with tasting events — overlaps with The Umbrella Project's online off-licence and tasting sessions.
• Salcombe Gin: Premium craft gin brand with tasting room, distillery experiences, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Comparable on the spirits-retail-and-experiences model with on-site tastings and shipped D2C, intersecting with The Umbrella Project's specialty spirits + tastings play.

Broad incumbents

• Drake & Morgan: UK bar and restaurant group operating multiple London and UK cocktail-led venues. Broad incumbent with overlapping on-premise cocktail positioning but a wider food-and-drink portfolio rather than a specialist cocktail collective.
• Be At One (Stonegate Group): Large UK cocktail bar chain owned by Stonegate Pub Company with dozens of sites. Broad incumbent offering overlapping cocktail bar experience at scale; comparable on cocktail product and venue format but as part of a much larger group rather than an independent collective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/umbrellaproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-umbrella-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries8 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 The Umbrella Project