National pub and restaurant operator Whitbread has beaten last year’s winner Mitchells & Butlers to the number one spot in Eat Out magazine’s top 20 list ranking pub and restaurant groups by their turnover.
Whitbread, which runs Beefeater Grill, Brewer’s Fayre, Table Table, Taybarns and Costa Coffee, takes the number one spot after reporting an annual turnover surpassing £2 billion – up 14% from last year.
In second place is Mitchells & Butlers with an annual turnover of £1.889 billion and retaining the third spot is JD Wetherspoon turning over £1.197 billion.
Other interesting findings:
- Only four operators saw a drop in revenues and they are all pub companies
- For the first time there are two restaurant companies in the top 10
- Eight businesses have ranked the same as they did last year
- The top three companies employ over 100,000 people in the UK
Clare Riley, editor of Eat Out, said the list highlights the fast-moving nature of the pub and restaurant sector: “In just 12 months our industry has seen several changes. Chief executives have come and gone; companies have taken on new identities and branding; and some businesses have managed to turn their fortunes around. Those changes are definitely reflected in this year’s Eat Out Top 20.”
Published in the June issue of Eat Out, the list features symbols comparing the rankings and turnover figures to last year’s list.
The Eat Out Top 20
01 Whitbread
02 Mitchells & Butlers
03 JD Wetherspoon
04 Greene King
05 Spirit
06 Marston’s
07 Enterprise Inns
08 Gondola Group
09 The Restaurant Group
10 Stonegate Pub Company
11 Punch Taverns
12 Nando’s
13 Tragus
14 Fuller, Smith & Turner
15 Young’s
16 Orchid Pub Company
17 Prezzo
18 Shepherd Neame
19 wagamama
20 The Bramwell Pub Company (formerly Barracuda)
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About Eat Out
Eat Out is a monthly magazine dedicated to the UK’s restaurant and pub groups. Featuring the latest news and analysis, it celebrates best practice across this thriving industry. Our flagship ‘At the table with…’ interview speaks to leading chief executives giving them the chance to air their views on the industry and reflect on their success. Previous candidates include: Tim Martin, David Page, Luke Johnson, Robin Rowland, Simon Kossoff and Karen Forrester.