Exclusive – Wells & Co reports 5% EBITDA increase to £10.3m as pub partners division delivers fourth consecutive year of growth: Brewer and retailer Wells & Co has reported a 5% EBITDA increase to £10.3m in the year to 29 September 2025, as its pub partners division delivered a fourth consecutive year of growth, Propel has learned. The company, which this year celebrates its 150th year, also reported a £0.4m increase in sales to £66.2m and said group operating profit before exceptional costs rose 21% to £4.2m, up from £3.5m, driven by higher sales alongside a focus on operational cost control. Performance across the company’s managed house estate, made up of 26 sites in the UK and 19 in France, saw an overall turnover growth of 2%. It said this reflects “the strength and diversity of the division, particularly against the backdrop of rising employment costs in the UK, with increases in national minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions adding approximately £800,000 to the cost base”. The group’s pub partner division, comprising 136 leased and tenanted sites across the northern home countries and East Anglia, delivered a fourth consecutive year of growth “in a demanding trading environment”. It said turnover was up 4%, “with the reopening of closed sites as well as the acquisition of three new venues, coupled with the resilience and commercial focus of its operators, contributing to the overall uplift”. The company said this performance was underpinned by the decision to hold supplier pricing across the majority of its draught beer range for more than 18 months, “allowing partners to meet the challenge of increased payroll costs whilst continuing to offer great service to their own customers”. The firm’s Brewpoint brewery continued to be a driver of growth both in terms of volume and earnings, while the business saw strong demand for core brands – Supernova Helles Lager, Foghorn Hazy IPA and Genesis Stout – alongside higher production volumes, delivering a 9% uplift in overall sales. Chief executive Peter Wells said: “2025 has been a year of steady progress for the group, particularly in the UK, where growth in all divisions increased overall earnings. We have remained focused on ensuring our pubs are relevant to their communities – investing in the right offers and experiences to drive dwell time and respond to changing consumer preferences. At the same time, market conditions in both the UK and France remain challenging, and cost inflation, particularly in employment, continues to place pressure on the sector. Despite this, we delivered earnings growth, strengthened the balance sheet and bolstered our operational leadership. Our portfolio across both the UK and France gives the group greater balance and resilience, creating a strong platform for sustainable long-term growth. With clear strategic priorities in place, we believe we are well positioned to navigate the ongoing headwinds and deliver further progress in 2026, supported by a network of talented, entrepreneurial and passionate partners, in what is the 150th anniversary year of our family business.” In January, Wells & Co brought its managed house business in the UK and France together under a single leadership. Rob Calderbank, who joined the company in November 2024, was named operations director for the UK and France. Peter Wells told Propel in October that the company could “easily” double the size of its French estate. Wells & Co, which last year marked 30 years since opening its first pub in France, now operates pubs across Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier, Lyon, Lille, La Rochelle, Strasbourg and Reims. “I think we could comfortably get to 40 through the development of more pubs in the cities we have, and then by starting to roll out elsewhere,” he said.

Premium Club subscribers to receive all 13 videos from Propel Multi-Club Conference on Friday: Premium Club subscribers will receive all 13 videos from the Propel Multi-Club Conference on Friday (10 April) at 9am. These include videos featuring Graeme Smith, managing director at AlixPartners; Dan Brookman, Airship and Toggle founder and chief executive; Maria Vanifatova, founder of Meaningful Vision; Nicc Wright, founder of Barbs; Phil Eeles, the Honest Burgers co-founder; Guy Ivesha, founder and chief executive of Maslow’s; Pano Christou, chief executive of Pret A Manger; Christobell Giles, managing director of Vagabond Wines; Mat Finch, managing director of Cornish Bakery; Russell Quelch, chief executive of Neos Hospitality; Markus Thesleff, founder and chief executive of the Thesleff Group; legendary London restaurateur Jeremy King; and John Vincent, co-founder and chief executive of Leon. Premium subscribers receive all the videos from Propel conferences each year – around 100 in total. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. A new Premium Unlimited Plus option, which costs £1,995 plus VAT per annum, has some amazing additional benefits including four free tickets to Propel’s paid-for conferences – Excellence in Pub & Bar (19 May), Operational Excellence (9 July) and Talent & Training (15 October) – and the opportunity to run one free sponsored message or situation vacant notice during the year on the newsletter. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

 

Papa John’s MD – new sourdough range will drive occasion and tap into consumer appetite for premiumisation and lighter choices: Papa John’s managing director Chris Phylactou has told Propel the brand’s new sourdough range will drive occasion and tap into increased consumer appetites for premiumisation and lighter choices. Its new sourdough range will launch on Tuesday, 14 April and come in three different flavours – The Pepper & Pepperoncini (vine-ripened tomato sauce, green peppers, sliced pepperoncini, white onion and Fior di Latte mozzarella with oregano), The Salami & N’duja (Italian fennel salami, spicy ’nduja and Fior di Latte) and The Chicken & Pesto (rich white garlic base topped with chicken, mushrooms, white onion and Fior di Latte, finished with a pesto drizzle). Available in just one size (large), the pizzas will be “competitively priced” at £15 each. Alongside the pizzas, the range also includes sourdough dippers, sweet dippers and a range of new calabrian hot honey, garlic aioli and pesto dips. Phylactou told Propel the new range has been “two years in the making” as “getting the quality right is important to us”. He said: “This gives us the opportunity for an additional occasion and to capture a new audience. The rise of sourdough is linked to healthier living, with a lighter base, and it’s a great opportunity to tap into that growth. We’re seeing a growing consumer appetite for premiumisation, with guests increasingly selective, and it will drive perceived value. People on average shop with us two to three times a year, and there is a huge space for us to drive occasion as well as tap into a growing trend. We hope to drive that number up but don’t have a new one yet.” Phylactou said that as with its current range, the new dough will be made fresh every day, with a 200-hour fermentation process. It will also use “high quality ingredients” including salami from northern Italy, a higher priced mozzarella and a higher quality pesto.