Our history
Mitchells & Butlers is one of the great names in licensed retailing in the UK and has been at the forefront of the creation of the great British pub as we know it today. In the first half of the twentieth century, the Company was one of the pioneers in the development of a new generation of large pubs with improved levels of amenity, service standards and a wider social appeal, which generated much higher sales than their predecessors – the small nineteenth-century back-street pubs then dominant in the industry. Often of striking new designs, many remain landmarks to this day.
Today Mitchells & Butlers operates many of the UK’s leading licensed retail brands including Vintage Inns, Toby Carvery, Ember Inns, O'Neill's, All Bar One and Sizzling Pub Co., as well as some of the most famous pubs in Britain. It continues to evolve and develop its estate of pub and pub restaurants to meet the ever more discerning tastes of the British public, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the UK pub industry.
Performance Statistics
- The leading UK operator of around 1968 managed pubs and pub restaurants (3% of pubs in the UK)
- 10% of UK’s eating and drinking market
- Average weekly sales of £19.5k (almost four times the industry average)
- 44,600 employees (Retail & Corporate)
- Assets predominantly freehold with a net book value of around £4.6bn
- 76% of our pubs and pub restaurants are in residential areas
- Average 120m meals served per year
- Growth of average food sales per pub by 9%
Our brands at a glance…
Pub and bars
Mitchells & Butlers operates high street, residential and suburban pubs which suit a very broad range of customers and many different occasions, whether a group of friends enjoying a night out or a family looking to eat well in a comfortable, safe environment. Our pubs and bars are bright, spacious and welcoming, offering customers a wide selection of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks, complemented by good value pub meals and a mix of live entertainment, music, sports coverage and quizzes.
Our local and town pubs include Ember Inns and Sizzling Pub Co., both part of the fabric of the local communities in which they operate. On the high street, O'Neill's is famous for its ale, its use of traditional Irish produce and regular live music. Student favourite, Scream, provides good-value food and drink through its popular Yellow card loyalty scheme. We also operate a number of late-night music bars, including 70s themed Flares and 80s themed Reflex.
Mitchells & Butlers is also proud to operate many of the UK’s best loved, classic pubs, including Deacon Brodie’s in Edinburgh; the Philharmonic in Liverpool; and the White Horse, Parsons Green, in London. Also in London we operate a collection of pubs under the Nicholson’s badge, renowned for their ale trail.
Pub restaurants
Our pub restaurants are constantly evolving to meet our customers’ needs, offering a range of dishes perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as sharing plates and snacks for customers to enjoy with friends and work colleagues.
Harvester, which is famous for its flame grilled chicken and help-yourself fresh salad cart, is popular with families. Toby Carvery, open 365 days of the year, offers good-value, freshly-cooked traditional meals. Our collection of individual country pubs, Vintage Inns, provide traditional pub food with a twist, real ales and an extensive wine list.
In town and city centres we operate All Bar One, which offers an extensive range of continental beers and great food to share; and Browns Bar & Brasserie, which provides a cosmopolitan atmosphere and seasonal dishes, often in landmark buildings.
Hotels and leisure
We operate Innkeeper's Lodge, a value-for-money accommodation brand often situated adjacent to one of our pub restaurants.
Our Hollywood Bowl venues – perfect for a family day out – offer state-of-the-art tenpin bowling with bars, cafés, and gaming facilities.
