Who owns Greene King?

CK Asset Holdings does. It is a Hong Kong-listed property and investment group whose roots go back to the business the billionaire Li Ka-shing founded, and it has owned Greene King outright since October 2019. Before that, Greene King was a British company listed on the London Stock Exchange for decades.

So the brewer from Bury St Edmunds, founded in 1799, is British in almost every way you can see: its brewery, its head office, its beers and its pubs. The owner at the top is in Hong Kong.

What does the register show?

Greene King Limited is company number 00024511, registered at Westgate Brewery, Bury St Edmunds. It was incorporated in 1887 as Greene King & Sons Public Limited Company, was Greene King plc from 1990, and became a private limited company in October 2019 when the takeover completed.

Its register of people with significant control names CK Noble (UK) Limited, which has held 75% or more of the shares and votes since 30 October 2019. Follow that up and CK Noble is controlled by CK Steel (UK) Limited, which is in turn controlled by CKA Holdings UK Limited.

The UK register stops there. CKA Holdings UK Limited states that it has no registrable controller, which is what you would expect when the parent is a company listed overseas. The last step comes from CK Asset's own description of its business, which calls Greene King a wholly owned subsidiary of its UK group.

Who is CK Asset Holdings?

One of Hong Kong's largest property companies, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Its roots are in Cheung Kong, the business Li Ka-shing founded in 1950.

CK Asset agreed to buy Greene King in August 2019 in a deal that valued its shares at about £2.7 billion, and the High Court approved the takeover that October.

For a drinker, the practical point is that there are no longer any outside shareholders in Greene King. Greene King's managers still run the business from Bury St Edmunds, but the company answers to a single owner in Hong Kong.

How big is Greene King?

CK Asset describes it as operating about 2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels in England, Wales and Scotland. That total includes pubs it runs itself and pubs it leases to tenants.

In the 53 weeks to 4 January 2026, Greene King reported revenue of £2.54 billion, up 3.6%, and adjusted operating profit of £217.4 million, up 9.8%. It spent £219.4 million on its pubs, systems and a new brewery that year.

The estate is shrinking at the edges. In March 2026 Greene King said it planned to sell about 150 managed pubs, move another 150 to tenanted or franchised models, and close about 20.

Which pubs and beers are Greene King?

More than the name above the door suggests. Greene King's managed pub brands include Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill, and many other pubs carry no Greene King branding at all. It has grown by buying other businesses, including Belhaven, the Scottish brewer, in 2005, Hardys & Hansons of Kimberley in 2006, and Spirit Pub Company in 2015.

On the beer side, it brews Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale in Bury St Edmunds, where it is building a new £40 million brewery due to open in June 2027. In May 2026 it agreed to sell the Old Speckled Hen beers to Damm UK, so that famous name is on its way out of the group.

Is Greene King independent?

No. It is one of the UK's biggest pub companies, and it has a single overseas owner. A Greene King pub run by a tenant has a local person behind the bar, but the pub company owns the building and supplies most of the beer.

If you want a pub that no pub company owns, our guide to Lincoln pubs not owned by a pubco names the freeholder of each one, and who owns every big UK pub company puts Greene King next to Stonegate, Heineken's Star Pubs, Punch and the rest.

Questions people ask

Is Greene King British-owned?

No. Greene King is a British company based in Bury St Edmunds, but since October 2019 it has been owned by CK Asset Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed group.

Who bought Greene King?

CK Asset Holdings, the property and investment group that grew out of Li Ka-shing's business empire. The takeover was agreed in August 2019 and completed in October 2019.

Does Greene King still brew beer?

Yes. It brews Greene King IPA and Abbot Ale in Bury St Edmunds, and Belhaven brews in Scotland. It has agreed to sell the Old Speckled Hen brands to Damm UK.

Last checked 17 September 2026. This article uses the Companies House records for Greene King Limited (00024511), CK Noble (UK) Limited, CK Steel (UK) Limited (11398252) and CKA Holdings UK Limited (10003599), CK Asset Holdings' own description of its UK business, Greene King's reported results for the 53 weeks to 4 January 2026, and its announcements of March and May 2026. Ownership and estate sizes change, so treat the numbers as dated figures. If you spot something that needs correcting, email Highstreett and we will review it.