ADMIRAL TAVERNS LEADS THE WAY IN UK-WIDE PUB LICENSEE SURVEY Leading community pub company voted ‘partner of choice’ in annual, independent Licensee Index
Admiral Taverns, the UK’s leading community pub group with over 1,400 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, has once again ranked first in the annual independent licensee sentiment tracker for the UK’s leased and tenanted pub sector (‘The Licensee Index’ or ‘TLI’).
Admiral improved its scores year on year and took first place amongst the largest, national pub companies, building on its Community Pub Group of the Year award at The Publican Awards in March 2024.
The survey, led by research consultancy KAM, assesses licensee satisfaction with their pub company and whether they’d be likely to recommend it to other publicans. This year, almost 1,500 telephone interviews were conducted with pub licensees to discuss satisfaction levels across 69 different criteria. Measures ranged from recruitment, training and information, ordering and delivery to product support, promotional support, landlord services, communication and the effectiveness of the pub company’s Business Development Managers (‘BDMs’).
Recent years have seen the UK pub sector face some of its most challenging headwinds yet. Against this backdrop, the 2024 TLI demonstrated that the average licensee satisfaction ratings have increased across 49 out of 52 criteria compared with pre-pandemic scores (October, 2019). In fact, scores for the national pub companies have increased over the last five years from an average of 6.2 to 7.6/10, showcasing the rigorous and comprehensive licensee support now available across the sector.
Admiral Taverns has long championed the role of sustainable, community pubs and the value they bring to their local areas. Through its operations-centric approach, the Group has continued to expand its footprint across the UK with recent acquisitions of 37 pubs from Fuller, Smith & Turner in June 2024 and 18 pubs from Marston’s in September 2024, taking the Groups’ overall estate to over 1,400 and its leased and tenanted estate to approximately 1,200.
Admiral Taverns ranked first or second in 71% of the TLI assessed criteria with key highlights including:
- When asked if they would recommend their pub company to another publican looking to take on a pub, licensees scored the Admiral Taverns 7.7/10, placing them in joint first position (with Star Pubs & Bars)
- The quality of Admiral’s Business Development Managers ranked the highest across the sector with a satisfaction score of 7.8/10, demonstrating the strength of the pub company’s relationships with its licensees
- Specifically on the guidance and advice provided to licensees on all ESG matters, Admiral ranked first with a score of 7.6/10. The score was underpinned by initiatives such as the Group’s response to the recent energy price inflation, through which it invested £1.8m in energy saving technology into its estate at no cost to its licensees.
- Admiral ranked first regarding the strength of the property support provided, scoring 7.7/10
- Licensees also felt the range of drinks supplied by Admiral is incredibly strong, scoring 7.9 out of 10 – again, resulting in joint first place.
- Overall, over the past year, Admiral’s pub company rating has increased from 7.5 to 7.7/10
Chris Jowsey, CEO of Admiral Taverns, said: “Pubs are the cornerstone of communities across the UK both socially and economically and they deserve our support. Not only do they bring people together and support all aspects of community life, but they also contribute a phenomenal £34 billion to the UK economy each year while employing nearly one million people.
After an extremely challenging few years, it’s very encouraging to see improvements in overall scores and licensee satisfaction across the sector despite significant political and economic uncertainty. To my mind, this highlights the resilience of the leased and tenanted pub model and underscores the importance of strong partnerships between pub companies and small business entrepreneurs. When combined, and at their best, these partnerships create thriving, successful pubs that benefit their local communities for generations to come.
Ranking number one in this industry-leading survey is a fantastic achievement that reflects our highly proactive approach, licensee-centric business model, and stands testament to the ongoing dedication of Admiral’s teams. Their commitment and efforts to collaborate with our licensees ensures that they have the support, when they need it, to run long-term, sustainable businesses.
I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to the entire team at Admiral Taverns, and of course to our extraordinary licensees, for their hard work and dedication to keeping pubs at the heart of communities across the UK.”
