Buzzworks Grows Revenue And Continues Investment

Leading Scottish hospitality group Buzzworks has reported another resilient year of trading and investment, with revenue rising 8.4 per cent to £37.3m for the 53 weeks to 4 May 2025. This compares with revenue of £34.4m in the previous year.

The company, renowned for its exceptional food and customer service, continues to go from strength to strength, delivering resilient trading in challenging market conditions.

Underlying EBITDA was £3.32m. This compares with £3.77m in the previous year, which benefited from insurance income.

Buzzworks, which has built its reputation across Scotland and throughout the industry as a people-focused business that is proud to support the communities in which it operates, continued to invest significantly in its venues and teams during the year.

A total of £2.4m was invested across new and existing sites, including the opening of Lido Musselburgh in December 2024 and a new Herringbone venue in Barnton in May 2025, alongside further refurbishment investment at Lido Prestwick and The Longhouse in Kilmarnock.

The group continued to invest in its people through its comprehensive training programme, supporting succession planning and the development of future leaders, while also investing in processes and technology to support planned growth.

In June 2025, led by Kenny Blair, Buzzworks completed a family management buyout, supported with investment from London-based, Alchemy Partners. The new partnership will provide additional financial and strategic support to accelerate new venue development, enhance the existing estate and strengthen the business for future expansion.

Kenny Blair, Managing Director of Buzzworks, said:

“Growing revenue in the current business climate is a real credit to our teams and to the loyalty of our guests. We’ve continued to trade strongly while absorbing significant cost pressures."

“We’re operating against a tough backdrop in Scotland, from energy and labour increases to a non-domestic rates system that can disproportionately penalise hospitality businesses when they invest."

“Hospitality is a major economic contributor, supporting jobs, supply chains and thriving town centres. We want to strengthen the fabric of Scottish hospitality overall and help make our country an even better place to visit. To do this, we urgently need a rates approach that properly recognises that value and supports investment in our industry, rather than holding it back as it currently does."

“Looking ahead, the investment from Alchemy Partners is a major catalyst for our next phase. This inward investment into Scotland gives us the backing to move further, faster, enhancing our estate, strengthening our platform and accelerating expansion, including venues with accommodation.”

Alongside the rest of the hospitality sector, Buzzworks continues to face significant external cost pressures, including increased property costs and non-domestic rates, alongside rising energy costs and increases to the National Living Wage and National Insurance contributions.

To counter this, the business has implemented measures to help mitigate inflation, including supplier tendering, strengthened cost controls and carefully managed pricing strategies, while maintaining the high standards the group is known for.

These high standards secured significant national recognition during the year, being named the UK’s ‘Best Managed Pub Company’ at the 2025 Publican Awards – the first Scottish operator ever to win the title.

The business also became Scotland’s first multi-venue hospitality company to achieve B Corp certification, reflecting its commitment to the highest standards of social and environmental performance and responsible business practices.

Buzzworks was also recognised once again as one of the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK.

Buzzworks operates 22 venues and growing across Scotland and employs more than 800 people, delivering aspirational dining and entertainment through its portfolio of brands including Scotts, Lido, House, Vic’s & The Vine, The Duke, Thirty Knots, The Bridge Inn, The Fox and Herringbone.

For more information on Buzzworks please visit here.