Bannatyne Group cheers fitness in 'difficult' market

A national health club and hotel operator has hailed its resilience against “difficult economic headwinds” after chalking up record turnover and profits.

The Bannatyne Group saw income rise six per cent to £158 million in the year to December 2025 as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation nudged marginally higher to £43.7 million.

Founder and executive chair Duncan Bannatyne said the performance of the near 220,000-strong member business defied a £2 million national insurance bill and rising energy costs.

He added it leaves the Darlington-headquartered firm – which has health clubs, spas and hotels across the UK – primed to expand, with plans in place to add padel courts to sites across England and Scotland in the coming months.

The investment plan comes a year after the company, which runs bases in Darlington, Ingleby Barwick, Coulby Newham, Durham and Chester-le-Street across its North East heartland, said it was focused on “staying fit for the future” following a return to pre-pandemic level earnings.

Duncan said: “The business has delivered impressive results against difficult economic headwinds.

“The success has been achieved in the face of an increase in the rate of employer’s national insurance, while the Government’s energy policies have failed to deliver any control on spiralling business energy tariffs.

“The company has closed underperforming clubs in some areas and opened new clubs in areas where demand was stronger. 

“It has also invested substantial sums in new products, including all-weather padel courts, and we will be announcing further investments in padel in Norwich, Livingston, Basingstoke, Chafford Hundred, Stratford-upon-Avon, Colchester and Grove Park throughout 2026.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.