Amber Taverns sales and profits rise as it readies for London debut
The pub operator’s chairman James Baer hailed its strong results as “testament to the validity of thriving community pubs”
“in relation to senior loans, preference shares and the sale and leaseback financing completed in the prior period.”
Amber Taverns posted a 9.6% uplift in revenue year-on-year to £131.5m, bolstered by a 2.4% uplift in like-for-like sales against strong comparables in the 52 weeks to 1 February 2026.
The pub operator recorded an 11.5% rise in group earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation to £28.1m during the period. Pre-tax losses widened to £9.2m from £3.6m the previous year, which the business attributed to £22.3m interest costs “in relation to senior loans, preference shares and the sale and leaseback financing completed in the prior period.”
Amber Taverns, which will soon launch its first pub inside the M25 in Bromley, said its wet-led model “continued to prove resilient” despite “global geopolitical and economic uncertainty continuing to exert significant cost pressure on the UK economy”.
The group opened a record 16 new sites during the financial year, representing an investment of £15.3m, and has a strong pipeline of new openings across southern locations, including Weston-super-Mare and Wiltshire.
Amber Taverns, which appointed former RedCat Hospitality boss Richard Lewis as its new chief executive in August, said it had “excellent trading momentum” since year end and was on track for another strong set of results in its current financial year.
Chairman James Baer said: “Amber remains testament to the validity of thriving community pubs. The group has delivered another strong trading performance, underpinning our conviction that the strength of our retail offer, with its focus on a well-invested, quality environment and exceptional value, continues to resonate with customers despite the ongoing cost of living challenges.
“With Richard now in situ as our new CEO and an exciting site pipeline, Amber remains well-placed to continue to outperform. We are particularly encouraged by the traction we are gaining in the south of England, where we see opportunity for further expansion, with our first pub due to open within the M25 later this year. With a well proven formula of a value offer in a modern community pub environment, Amber remains on track for another year of growth as we further establish the business as a leading national pub company.”
