RedCat Hospitality eyes future in carveries after ‘transformational’ year

RedCat Hospitality, the operator of the Coaching Inn Group and RedCat Independent Pubs, is focused on growing its carveries and accommodation arm following a “transformational” year for the business.

The group, founded by former Greene King boss Rooney Anand in 2021 to take advantage of a swathe of pub sites coming to the market after the pandemic, has reported a rise in sales and profits after investing in its estate.

Adjusted EBITDA rose 290% to £8.8m during the year to 30 March 2025 while site EBITDA jumped 42% to £18.7m. Like-for-like sales also rose 2% during the same period.

RedCat operates around 95 pubs and inns, including the 36-strong Coaching Inn Group, but has restructured its portfolio over the last two years.

It put its 10-site leased pubs division into administration last year and began investing millions into its remaining sites.

Chief executive Richard Lewis said sales were driven by a strong performance from the Coaching Inn Group, which he called the “jewel in our crown”.

“The team have worked through a huge amount of change. What has emerged is a stronger, leaner and more coherent business, which is performing well, is in good growth and has lots of exciting opportunities ahead,” he added.

RedCat said like-for-like sales for the first quarter of this financial year were up 6.7% to £32.7m while room sales had jumped 8% amid a boom in demand in the pubs with rooms market .

The group said carvery pubs were a “huge investment opportunity” going forwards and it has recently invested £600,000 to upgrade the Castle Carvery Clocktower in Norwich. This has modernising its facilities and putting in a new kiosk ordering system to deliver a sales increase of over 30% year-on-year.

RedCat said customer response had been “extremely positive” and there are further carvery sites in the pipeline.