Gerald Edelman advises on the sale of Albion & East to Urban Pubs and Bars

Gerald Edelman is delighted to announce that its Corporate Finance team has successfully advised on the sale of Imbiba backed bar-restaurant group, Albion & East Limited (“Albion & East”) to Urban Pubs & Bars Limited (“Urban Pubs & Bars”). This transaction represents another successful completed hospitality deal for the team.

Albion & East, backed by private equity firm, Imbiba, is a collection of four vibrant all-day bar-restaurants situated in prime London locations. Each design-led venue fosters a welcoming neighbourhood atmosphere – seamlessly transitioning from coffee and hotdesking by day to a lively destination for pizza, cocktails, and late-night socialising.

Urban Pubs and Bars is London’s largest independent pub operator. Founded in 2014, the business operates a growing portfolio of 60 pubs, bars and restaurants across London, with turnover approaching £100 million in the last twelve months.

The acquisition strengthens Urban Pubs & Bars’ position in the London hospitality market, adding four exceptional venues and a respected brand to its portfolio. At the same time, Albion & East will benefit from the scale, expertise and resources of a large strategic partner.

This transaction provided an ideal exit opportunity for Albion & East’s shareholders, with Urban Pubs & Bars well-placed to take the business from strength to strength.

Calum Brazier, Director at Albion & East, commented:

“We are delighted with the outcome of this transaction and very pleased that it represents a good result for our shareholders. Urban is a fantastic home for the business, and I look forward to visiting the sites as a customer in the future!

“The Gerald Edelman team were exceptional from start to finish. They ran an efficient process and provided tremendous and calming support throughout the transaction; negotiating a deal that aligned well with our objectives and offering invaluable guidance throughout due diligence and the drafting of legal docs. We couldn’t recommend the team at Gerald Edelman highly enough!”

Nick Wallis, Partner at Gerald Edelman, added:

“We’re delighted to have advised on this deal for the shareholders of Albion & East. It has been a real pleasure working closely with the team, and we’re thrilled to have helped deliver an outcome that enabled the shareholders to achieve their objectives.

This deal marks another successful completion for the our Corporate Finance team and further reinforces our position as one of the UK’s leading lower mid-market M&A advisers – and among the most active in the hospitality sector.

We wish both the Albion & East and Urban Pubs and Bars teams continued success in the future!”