Brandwave

Greene King vs Nicholson’s:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Greene King had more branded searches than Nicholson’s among pub chains in the United Kingdom. Greene King had about 49,500 branded searches, while Nicholson’s had 1,900. Greene King made up 5.9% of all pub chain searches we track, and Nicholson’s accounted for 0.23%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pub chains, Greene King appeared in two of the four answers and Nicholson’s in none.

Among pub chains in the United Kingdom in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Greene King, about 26 searches for every 1 for Nicholson’s

Greene King 49.5K searchesNicholson’s 1.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Greene King, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, Nicholson’s in 0

Greene King in 2 of 4Nicholson’s in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Greene King, the only one of the two named

Greene King first in 2Nicholson’s never named

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Top pub chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Greene King was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Nicholson’s did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Wetherspoons1st
  2. Greene King2nd
  3. Young's3rd
  4. Hungry Horse4th
  5. Fuller's5th
  6. Vintage Inns–
  7. Marston's–
  8. Sizzling Pubs–
  9. Chef & Brewer–
  10. +1 more
  11. Nicholson’s–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • 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
  • Nicholson’s0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

+1 more

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?”

    1. 1Wetherspoons
    2. 2Hungry Horse
    3. 3Greene King

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's a good pub near me for Sunday lunch?”

    1. Searched Google, AI Overview

      “pubs near me”

      1. 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.

      Is Greene King or Nicholson’s more popular in search?

      This chart shows how often people search Google for Greene King and Nicholson’s 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.

      Greene King and Nicholson’s among pub chains in the United Kingdom, by month

      Share of searches by month for Greene King, Nicholson’s. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthWetherspoonsGreene KingHungry HorseVintage InnsMarston'sSizzling PubsChef & BrewerEmber InnsFuller'sYoung'sNicholson’s
      Oct 202578.8%7.1%5.8%1.7%1.2%1.7%1.7%1.2%0.28%0.12%0.34%
      Nov 202579.8%7.2%4.8%1.8%1.2%1.8%1.4%1.4%0.28%0.13%0.28%
      Dec 202581.4%7.3%4%1.8%0.8%1.5%1.5%1.2%0.29%0.1%0.16%
      Jan 202678.3%7%4.7%2.6%1.2%2.1%1.7%1.7%0.34%0.18%0.15%
      Feb 202679.2%7.1%4.8%1.7%1.2%2.6%1.7%1.2%0.23%0.18%0.13%
      Mar 202678.5%8.6%4.7%1.7%1.2%2.1%1.4%1.2%0.23%0.23%0.18%
      Apr 202677.4%7%5.7%2.1%1.4%2.6%1.7%1.4%0.28%0.33%0.22%
      May 202677.4%7%5.7%2.1%1.4%2.6%1.7%1.4%0.28%0.28%0.33%
      Jun 202680.5%5.9%4.8%1.8%1.4%1.8%1.4%1.4%0.29%0.29%0.29%
      Jul 202677.9%7%5.7%1.7%1.4%2.6%1.4%1.4%0.28%0.34%0.28%
      Aug 202679.7%5.9%5.9%1.8%1.8%1.8%1.4%1.2%0.23%0.23%0.23%
      Sep 202680.1%5.9%4.8%2.2%1.8%1.8%1.4%1.2%0.35%0.35%0.23%

      How has the Greene King and Nicholson’s comparison changed over the last 12 months?

      3 findings

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

      2 changes

      1. In September 2026, Nicholson’s fell from 10th to 11th among pub chains in the United Kingdom.

      2. 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?

      2 search terms

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Greene King’s and Nicholson’s’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

      Greene King

      1 branded search term

      • greene king

      Nicholson’s

      1 branded search term

      • nicholsons pubs

      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

      Other head-to-heads among pub chains

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