Pub chains in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?

Name: Pub chains in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?
Creator: Brandwave
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In September 2026, Wetherspoons was the most searched pub chain in the United Kingdom, accounting for 80.1% of all searches among the 11 chains we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Wetherspoons and Greene King were mentioned most often, in two of the four answers. Wetherspoons was recommended most often, coming first in both responses that gave a list.

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Top pub chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Wetherspoons and Greene King were mentioned most often, in two of the four answers. Wetherspoons was recommended most often, coming first in both answers that gave a list. Greene King was second, and Young's was third. Vintage Inns, which ranked fourth in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

How many AI answers named each brand
Brand	ChatGPT	Google	Answers that named it
Wetherspoons	Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	2 of 4
Greene King	Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	2 of 4
Hungry Horse	Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	1 of 4
Fuller's	Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	1 of 4
Young's	Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	1 of 4
Vintage Inns	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4
Marston's	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4
Sizzling Pubs	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4
Chef & Brewer	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4
Ember Inns	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4
Nicholson’s	Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers	Named in 0 of 1 Google AI Overviews	0 of 4

Wetherspoons2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Greene King2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Hungry Horse1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Fuller's1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Young's1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Vintage Inns0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Marston's0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Sizzling Pubs0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Chef & Brewer0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Ember Inns0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Nicholson’s0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about pub chains

4 answers

Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pub chain in the UK?”
1. 1Wetherspoons
2. 2Young's
3. 3Greene King
4. 4Fuller's
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pub chain is best for a cheap meal and a pint?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's a good pub near me for Sunday lunch?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pubs near me”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pubs near me”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 23, 2026.

Which pub chains do people search for most?

This chart shows how often people search Google for each pub chain by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 pub chains we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.

Share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom, by month

Month	Wetherspoons	Greene King	Hungry Horse	Vintage Inns	Marston's	Sizzling Pubs	Chef & Brewer	Ember Inns	Fuller's	Young's	Nicholson’s
Oct 2025	78.8%	7.1%	5.8%	1.7%	1.2%	1.7%	1.7%	1.2%	0.28%	0.12%	0.34%
Nov 2025	79.8%	7.2%	4.8%	1.8%	1.2%	1.8%	1.4%	1.4%	0.28%	0.13%	0.28%
Dec 2025	81.4%	7.3%	4%	1.8%	0.8%	1.5%	1.5%	1.2%	0.29%	0.1%	0.16%
Jan 2026	78.3%	7%	4.7%	2.6%	1.2%	2.1%	1.7%	1.7%	0.34%	0.18%	0.15%
Feb 2026	79.2%	7.1%	4.8%	1.7%	1.2%	2.6%	1.7%	1.2%	0.23%	0.18%	0.13%
Mar 2026	78.5%	8.6%	4.7%	1.7%	1.2%	2.1%	1.4%	1.2%	0.23%	0.23%	0.18%
Apr 2026	77.4%	7%	5.7%	2.1%	1.4%	2.6%	1.7%	1.4%	0.28%	0.33%	0.22%
May 2026	77.4%	7%	5.7%	2.1%	1.4%	2.6%	1.7%	1.4%	0.28%	0.28%	0.33%
Jun 2026	80.5%	5.9%	4.8%	1.8%	1.4%	1.8%	1.4%	1.4%	0.29%	0.29%	0.29%
Jul 2026	77.9%	7%	5.7%	1.7%	1.4%	2.6%	1.4%	1.4%	0.28%	0.34%	0.28%
Aug 2026	79.7%	5.9%	5.9%	1.8%	1.8%	1.8%	1.4%	1.2%	0.23%	0.23%	0.23%
Sep 2026	80.1%	5.9%	4.8%	2.2%	1.8%	1.8%	1.4%	1.2%	0.35%	0.35%	0.23%

Rank	Brand	Share of searches	Estimated monthly branded searches	vs prior month	Share change
1, held 1st	Wetherspoons	80.1%	673K	-18.2%	+0.4 points
2, held 2nd	Greene King	5.9%	49.5K	-18.2%	0 points
3, held 3rd	Hungry Horse Greene King	4.8%	40.5K	-33.1%	-1 points
4, moved from 6th to 4th	Vintage Inns Mitchells & Butlers	2.2%	18.1K	0%	+0.4 pointsmoved from 6th to 4th
5, moved from 4th to 5th	Marston's	1.8%	14.8K	-18.2%	0 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th
6, moved from 5th to 6th	Sizzling Pubs Mitchells & Butlers	1.8%	14.8K	-18.2%	0 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th
7, held 7th	Chef & Brewer Greene King	1.4%	12.1K	-18.2%	0 points
8, held 8th	Ember Inns Mitchells & Butlers	1.2%	9.9K	-18.2%	0 points
9, held 9th	Fuller's	0.35%	2.9K	+20.8%	+0.1 points
10, moved from 11th to 10th	Young's	0.35%	2.9K	+20.8%	+0.1 pointsmoved from 11th to 10th
11, moved from 10th to 11th	Nicholson’s Mitchells & Butlers	0.23%	1.9K	-20.8%	0 pointsmoved from 10th to 11th

1.Wetherspoons
80.1%
Held 1st. 673K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.
2.Greene King
5.9%
Held 2nd. 49.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
3.Hungry Horse
4.8%
Held 3rd. 40.5K estimated branded searches, -33.1% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
4.Vintage Inns
2.2%
Moved from 6th to 4th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.
5.Marston's
1.8%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
6.Sizzling Pubs
1.8%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 14.8K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
7.Chef & Brewer
1.4%
Held 7th. 12.1K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
8.Ember Inns
1.2%
Held 8th. 9.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
9.Fuller's
0.35%
Held 9th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, +20.8% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
10.Young's
0.35%
Moved from 11th to 10th. 2.9K estimated branded searches, +20.8% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
11.Nicholson’s
0.23%
Moved from 10th to 11th. 1.9K estimated branded searches, -20.8% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Which brand is most popular in search among pub chains in the United Kingdom?

11 brands

In September 2026, Wetherspoons was the most searched among pub chains in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 673K branded searches, 80.1% of all searches for the 11 we track. Greene King is in 2nd place, 74.2 percentage points behind at 5.9%.

United Kingdom pub chains, last 12 months ending September 2026
Brand	Share of searches	Peak	Low	Rank
Wetherspoons	78.8% → 80.1%	81.4%Dec 2025	77.4%May 2026	1st
Greene King	7.1% → 5.9%	8.6%Mar 2026	5.9%Aug 2026	2nd
Hungry Horse	5.8% → 4.8%	5.9%Aug 2026	4%Dec 2025	3rd
Vintage Inns	1.7% → 2.2%	2.6%Jan 2026	1.7%Jul 2026	6th → 4th
Marston's	1.2% → 1.8%	1.8%Sep 2026	0.8%Dec 2025	8th → 5th
Sizzling Pubs	1.7% → 1.8%	2.6%Feb 2026	1.5%Dec 2025	5th → 6th
Chef & Brewer	1.7% → 1.4%	1.7%Feb 2026	1.4%Jul 2026	4th → 7th
Ember Inns	1.2%	1.7%Jan 2026	1.2%Mar 2026	7th → 8th
Fuller's	0.28% → 0.35%	0.35%Sep 2026	0.23%Mar 2026	10th → 9th
Young's	0.12% → 0.35%	0.35%Sep 2026	0.1%Dec 2025	11th → 10th
Nicholson’s	0.34% → 0.23%	0.34%Oct 2025	0.13%Feb 2026	9th → 11th

Each finding as a sentence

Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wetherspoons’ share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom increased from 78.8% to 80.1%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Greene King’s share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom decreased from 7.1% to 5.9%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hungry Horse’s share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom decreased from 5.8% to 4.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Marston's’ share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom increased from 1.2% to 1.8%.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wetherspoons’ share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom peaked at 81.4% in December 2025 and was lowest at 77.4% in May 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Greene King’s share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom peaked at 8.6% in March 2026 and was lowest at 5.9% in August 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hungry Horse’s share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.9% in August 2026 and was lowest at 4% in December 2025.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sizzling Pubs’ share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom peaked at 2.6% in February 2026 and was lowest at 1.5% in December 2025.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vintage Inns rose from 6th to 4th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Marston's rose from 8th to 5th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sizzling Pubs fell from 5th to 6th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chef & Brewer fell from 4th to 7th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ember Inns fell from 7th to 8th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fuller's rose from 10th to 9th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Young's rose from 11th to 10th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nicholson’s fell from 9th to 11th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom pub chains in September 2026?

8 changes

In September 2026, Hungry Horse lost share of searches among pub chains in the United Kingdom, from 5.9% to 4.8%.
In September 2026, Vintage Inns rose from 6th to 4th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Young's rose from 11th to 10th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Marston's fell from 4th to 5th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Nicholson’s fell from 10th to 11th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Sizzling Pubs fell from 5th to 6th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Chef & Brewer in the United Kingdom fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 18.1K to 12.1K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Greene King in the United Kingdom fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 49.5K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted for pub chains?

11 search terms

Each brand's share of searches among pub chains comes from the terms listed under its name. When people mostly search for a brand because of something else it sells, only the searches that name this product count here.