The Revel Collective
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA British hospitality and entertainment group that operated Revolution, Revolución de Cuba, Peach Pubs and Founders & Co venues before entering administration in January 2026.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Revel Collective was a British hospitality and entertainment operator headquartered in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. The business began in 1991 as Inventive Leisure, founded by Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod after the two entrepreneurs met in London during the 1980s. Its first Ashton-under-Lyne bar was followed by nightclubs and a music venue, establishing a portfolio focused on social drinking, nightlife and casual entertainment. In 1996, the founders moved away from operating largely unbranded bars and clubs and launched the Revolution chain. Revolution was differentiated by making vodka a central part of its proposition, combining a broad drinks offer with late-night entertainment, music and event-led venues. The group later developed additional concepts, including Revolución de Cuba, a Cuban-themed bar and restaurant brand built around rum, cocktails, food and Latin-inspired entertainment. Founders & Co became another format in the group’s venue portfolio, while the 2022 acquisition of Peach Pubs expanded the business into managed and leased pub operations in southern England and the Midlands. The company floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 2000, operating 21 bars at the time. It was acquired by Alchemy Partners in 2006 in a transaction reported as valuing the business at £42.5 million, following competing interest from Regent Inns and Ultimate Leisure. During the following decade, the company continued to operate as a multi-venue hospitality group and was known publicly as Revolution Bars Group. It received recognition in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2013, when it employed approximately 1,800 people according to the cited reference material. The group faced strategic and financial pressure as the UK hospitality sector became more challenging. In 2017, Revolution Bars Group rejected a proposed merger with Deltic Group, while indicating a preference for a £101.5 million takeover offer from Stonegate, the owner of Slug and Lettuce. The proposed transactions did not result in a completed combination described in the supplied reference material. In 2022, the acquisition of Peach Pubs for £16.5 million added 21 leasehold pubs and diversified the group beyond its Revolution-branded late-night venues. In March 2024, the company announced emergency fundraising plans and proposed closing approximately one quarter of its venues while seeking a sale. The measures reflected financial difficulties and put hundreds of jobs at risk. Luke Johnson became non-executive chairman in September 2024, replacing Keith Edelman. In October 2024, the company adopted the name The Revel Collective to signal that its portfolio had broadened beyond the original Revolution Bars identity. The company entered administration in January 2026, with joint administrators formally appointed on 27 January. Immediately afterward, the business and assets associated with Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co were sold to Neos Holdco Limited, trading as Neos Hospitality. The Peach Pubs business was sold to Coral Pub Company Acquisition Limited, founded by Ted Kennedy. The transactions preserved the operation of 20 Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co venues and 21 Peach pubs, while 14 Revolution sites, six Revolución de Cuba sites and one Peach site closed immediately. The stated outcome was the safeguarding of 1,582 jobs alongside 591 redundancies. As a result, The Revel Collective ceased to operate as the continuing owner of the portfolio, although several of its trading brands continued under new ownership.
History
The business that became The Revel Collective was founded in 1991 as Inventive Leisure by Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod. The founders had met in London in the 1980s and opened their first bar in Ashton-under-Lyne. They subsequently expanded into nightclubs and a music venue, developing experience in high-volume, entertainment-oriented hospitality. A major repositioning occurred in 1996, when the company launched the Revolution chain. Rather than operating only as a collection of unbranded bars and clubs, the new concept presented a more identifiable consumer proposition, with vodka as its principal drinks focus. Revolution combined themed interiors, music, nightlife and drinks-led socialising, and became the group’s defining brand. The company floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 2000. It operated 21 bars at the time of the flotation. In 2006, Alchemy Partners acquired the company in a transaction valued at £42.5 million, following competing bids from Regent Inns and Ultimate Leisure. The business continued to develop its branded bar estate and remained associated with late-night entertainment and drinks-led venues. In 2011, the group created Revolución de Cuba. The concept broadened the portfolio through a Cuban-themed proposition focused on rum, cocktails, food and Latin-inspired entertainment. The brand complemented Revolution while giving the operator a distinct format for consumers seeking a more restaurant- and cocktail-oriented experience. The group received workplace recognition in 2013, ranking 25th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list. The cited material states that it employed approximately 1,800 people at that point. Phill Danks became chief executive officer of Revolution Bars Group in 2013. The company entered a period of strategic contest in 2017. It rejected a merger proposal from Deltic Group, a nightclub operator, stating that the proposal was not in shareholders’ best interests at that time. Deltic responded by proposing that Revolution shareholders would own 65% of a combined company and Deltic shareholders would own 35%. Revolution Bars Group also indicated a preference for a reported £101.5 million takeover offer from Stonegate, the owner of Slug and Lettuce. The supplied source does not establish that either proposal was completed. Expansion beyond the original late-night bar formats continued in 2022 with the acquisition of Peach Pubs for £16.5 million. The deal added 21 leasehold pubs across southern England and the Midlands. This broadened the group’s exposure to pub dining and community-oriented hospitality while maintaining its Revolution and Revolución de Cuba operations. Financial challenges became more visible in March 2024, when the company announced emergency fundraising plans and proposed closing about one quarter of its venues while pursuing a sale. The plan threatened hundreds of jobs and reflected pressure on the group’s operating model. Luke Johnson was appointed non-executive chairman in September 2024, replacing Keith Edelman. In October 2024, Revolution Bars Group changed its name to The Revel Collective, presenting the change as a better reflection of its multi-brand structure. The group entered administration in January 2026, with joint administrators appointed on 27 January. The operating businesses were divided between new buyers: Neos Holdco Limited, trading as Neos Hospitality, acquired the assets associated with Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co, while Coral Pub Company Acquisition Limited acquired Peach Pubs. The transactions allowed 20 Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co venues and 21 Peach pubs to continue, reportedly safeguarding 1,582 jobs. Fourteen Revolution sites, six Revolución de Cuba sites and one Peach site closed immediately, producing 591 redundancies. The administration ended The Revel Collective’s role as the continuing owner of the portfolio, although the principal trading brands survived under successor ownership.
- 2026
Administration and asset sales
[1]Joint administrators were appointed and the operating brands were sold to Neos Hospitality and Coral Pub Company Acquisition Limited.
- 2024
Corporate rename
[1]Revolution Bars Group adopted The Revel Collective name as its portfolio expanded across several hospitality formats.
- 2022
Peach Pubs acquired
[1]The acquisition added 21 leasehold pubs in southern England and the Midlands.
- 2017
Merger and takeover approaches considered
[1]The company rejected a Deltic Group merger proposal and indicated a preference for a reported Stonegate takeover offer.
- 2013
Workplace ranking and CEO appointment
[1]The company ranked 25th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and Phill Danks became chief executive officer.
- 2011
Revolución de Cuba created
[1]The group introduced its Cuban-themed, rum-focused bar and restaurant concept.
- 2006
Acquisition by Alchemy Partners
[1]Alchemy Partners acquired the business in a transaction reported as valuing it at £42.5 million.
- 2000
Admission to the Alternative Investment Market
[1]The company floated on AIM while operating 21 bars.
- 1996
Revolution chain established
[1]The founders launched the Revolution chain, differentiating it through a vodka-led drinks proposition and branded nightlife venues.
- 1991
Inventive Leisure founded
[1]Roy Ellis and Neil Macleod founded Inventive Leisure and opened the group’s first bar in Ashton-under-Lyne.
Products and positioning
A multi-brand UK hospitality group spanning vodka-led late-night bars, Cuban-themed rum and cocktail venues, community-oriented pubs and broader entertainment-led social venues.
Vodka-led late-night bars · 1996
Revolution
Revolution was the group’s original major branded chain, launched in 1996 after the founders moved beyond largely unbranded bars and clubs. Its proposition centred on vodka, cocktails, music, nightlife and event-oriented socialising. Venues typically combined a bar environment with food and entertainment, positioning the brand between a conventional pub and a late-night club. The format remained one of the group’s principal assets until the 2026 administration and subsequent sale of operating venues.
Cuban-themed bars and restaurants · 2011
Revolución de Cuba
Created in 2011, Revolución de Cuba extended the portfolio into a Cuban-themed hospitality format. The concept focused on rum, cocktails, Latin-inspired food and entertainment, using Cuban cultural references and music to create a differentiated evening experience. It complemented Revolution’s vodka-led identity while appealing to customers seeking a more themed, cocktail- and dining-oriented venue. Part of the estate continued after the 2026 sale to Neos Hospitality.
Leasehold pubs
Peach Pubs
Peach Pubs was acquired in 2022 and added 21 leasehold pubs across southern England and the Midlands. The business broadened The Revel Collective’s exposure to pub-based hospitality beyond its established late-night bar concepts. Peach’s sites represented a more traditional, food- and community-oriented operating format within the group. The Peach business was sold separately in the 2026 administration to Coral Pub Company Acquisition Limited.
Hospitality and entertainment venues
Founders & Co
Founders & Co was one of the venue formats included in The Revel Collective’s portfolio before administration. The supplied reference identifies it as a continuing trading brand whose assets, together with Revolution and Revolución de Cuba, were sold to Neos Holdco Limited in January 2026. Detailed information about its founding, venue model and product range is not established by the supplied source.
Brand decisions
2026
Sale of operating businesses during administrationM&ABackground
Joint administrators were appointed on 27 January 2026 after the group experienced continuing financial difficulties.
Action taken
The assets of Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co were sold to Neos Holdco Limited, trading as Neos Hospitality. Peach Pubs was sold to Coral Pub Company Acquisition Limited.
Aftermath
The sales preserved 20 Revolution, Revolución de Cuba and Founders & Co venues and 21 Peach pubs, reportedly safeguarding 1,582 jobs. Fourteen Revolution sites, six Revolución de Cuba sites and one Peach site closed immediately, resulting in 591 redundancies.
2024
Emergency fundraising and estate reductionStrategyBackground
The company faced financial difficulties and sought a sale of the business.
Action taken
The company announced emergency fundraising plans and proposed closing approximately one quarter of its venues.
Aftermath
The plan threatened hundreds of jobs and preceded the company’s later administration.
2024
Adoption of The Revel Collective nameStrategyBackground
The company operated a broader set of hospitality concepts than the Revolution Bars Group name suggested.
Action taken
The corporate group changed its name to The Revel Collective in October 2024.
Aftermath
The rename presented the company as a multi-brand hospitality group rather than a business centred solely on the Revolution chain.
2022
Acquisition of Peach PubsM&ABackground
The group sought to diversify its venue portfolio beyond branded late-night bars and restaurants.
Action taken
Revolution Bars Group acquired Peach Pubs, adding 21 leasehold pubs in southern England and the Midlands for a reported £16.5 million.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the group into pub operations and added a more traditional, food- and community-oriented hospitality format.
Reported acquisition price. £16.5 million (2022)
2017
Rejecting the Deltic Group merger proposalM&ABackground
Deltic Group proposed combining its nightclub business with Revolution Bars Group during a period of consolidation in UK nightlife.
Action taken
Revolution Bars Group rejected the proposal, stating that it was not in shareholders’ best interests at that time.
Aftermath
Deltic said it intended to appeal directly to shareholders and proposed a 65% ownership position for existing Revolution shareholders in a combined company. The supplied material does not indicate that the merger was completed.
- Deltic Group — Deltic proposed appealing directly to Revolution shareholders and outlined a proposed ownership split for a combined business.
Sources1 sources
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