Liberation Group to rebrand as Butcombe Group

The pub operator and brewing business, Liberation Group, has revealed its plans to rebrand to Butcombe Group to align with its strategic priorities. 

Butcombe Group will be the new corporate identity, with the existing operating brands remaining the same – Butcombe Pubs and Inns, Butcombe Brewing Co, Butcombe Boutique Inns, Liberation Pubs and Bars and Liberation Brewing Co.

The rebrand comes as, over the last seven years, the group has expanded its reach through organic growth and strategic acquisitions from Brains, Wadworth and Cirrus Inns. 

With the expansion and development of the pub estate having been focused on the South of England, this area now represents the group’s largest concentration of pubs. 

In addition, the group’s accommodation offering has grown to over 400 available rooms, with plans to increase this to over 700 within the existing estate. 

Earlier this year, the group also successfully launched Butcombe Boutique Inns. 

Looking forward, these three strategic priorities – Butcombe Pubs and Inns managed estate, Butcombe Brewing Co and Butcombe Boutique Inns – will be the group’s main drivers of growth. 

Jonathan Lawson, CEO of Butcombe Group, said: “The Butcombe brand has quickly established itself as a leader in the premium pubs and drinks business. Following a period of successful expansion, it is now the largest part of our business and the area where the majority of our growth is likely to come from. Adopting Butcombe as our corporate brand is the logical next step and will support our exciting plans for future development.

“Christmas bookings have been incredibly strong for some time, with a double-digit growth against last year’s performance. We have also seen a real move to celebrate Christmas out of the home, with bookings on Christmas day up significantly.”

Lawson maintains that, despite recent storms and fragile consumer confidence, the group is “encouraged” by overall trading in the second half of the year, which is running slightly ahead of the first half’s like-for-like sales growth of 6.4%.  

He added: “We have been particularly heartened by the performance in our London pubs, where the investment in our sites and offer has been really well received by our customers and we have driven double digit growth in London for the last 12 weeks. 

“We have strong plans for the new financial year which we approach with confidence, despite the deeply unhelpful budget from the UK government, which we see as being inflationary and contrary to their much-vaunted support for business.”