NIQ’s exclusive PubTrack solution has published its rankings of British consumers’ favourite pub operators in 2025.
The lists are based on a range of metrics from last year, including overall satisfaction and value for money, the quality of drinks and service, and intentions to revisit and recommend.
The feedback provides accurate insights into guests’ engagement with Britain’s best-known pub names, helping operators and suppliers understand brand sentiment and benchmark performance against their competitors.
The 2025 PubTrack rankings are led by Wellington Pub Company, which owns a wide variety of pub types and sizes across England and Wales. It takes the top spot after jumping six places from last year’s chart, thanks to a consistently strong performance against all metrics.
In second place is Everards, which has around 150 pubs in the East Midlands. Third is Brunning & Price, part of The Restaurant Group, which topped the list in both 2023 and 2024. Other leading pub groups on the rankings include two based in the South of England, Brakspear and Youngs, and Daniel Thwaites from the North West. Brakspear and Thwaites have both moved into the top10 this year—as have JD Wetherspoon, Hall & Woodhouse and Star Pubs & Bars.
The full top 10 pub operators are:
1 Wellington Pub Company
2 Everards
3 Brunning & Price
4 Brakspear
5 Youngs
6 Daniel Thwaites
7 JD Wetherspoon
8 Hall & Woodhouse
9 Star Pubs & Bars
10 JW Lees
PubTrack is a powerful tool that combines NIQ’s Outlet Index with a survey of British consumers. As well as the overall ranking, it delivers extensive breakdowns of pub operators by individual metrics such as service, where Everards, Wellington Pub Company and Brakspear form the top three. Everards and Wellington also top the rankings for quality of drinks, ahead of JW Lees. The chart for best value experience is led by JD Wetherspoon, ahead of Amber Taverns and Wellington.
PubTrack also assesses pub operators’ brand advocacy and loyalty. Brunning & Price leads the rankings for most advocates, ahead of Brakspear and Youngs. Brunning & Price and Youngs make the top three for building regular guests, alongside Hall & Woodhouse.
The PubTrack findings also highlight the factors that matter most to consumers. For example, well over half (55%) say ‘welcoming’ is the most important quality when they visit a pub. Value is another major driver, with 38% agreeing that it is more important that pubs are good value than it was a year ago.
Dani Rowlands, NIQ client director, said: “With consumer spending tight and competition high, it’s more important than ever for on premise businesses to understand how guests really feel about pubs.
These PubTrack rankings build an unrivalled picture of the landscape, revealing both the groups that are getting their strategies right and those that have more work to do. The significant year-on-year movement in our lists shows how fast brand perception can shift, as well as the importance of fundamental pub qualities like value and service. With more change sure to follow in 2026, PubTrack will be an essential tool for all operators and suppliers seeking to stay on top of consumer sentiment.”
