Alcuin Capital Partners, ICG Enterprise Trust and Isfield Investments have sold The Groucho Club to Artfarm

The Groucho Club

The Groucho Club is a private members club based on Dean Street in the heart of London’s Soho neighborhood. It was founded in 1985 by a group of mostly female publishers and has been, for almost 40 years, a spiritual home for people in arts, literature, publishing, film, music, advertising and media, most of whom were working in the area. With celebrated restaurants and bars, famous event and party rooms, bedrooms and exclusive member services, The Groucho Club pioneered the new generation of members clubs. The club celebrates art in all forms, and its members enjoy an expansive contemporary collection that adorns every inch of wall space in its building.

The Deal

Alcuin Capital Partners, ICG Enterprise Trust and Isfield Investments engaged Lincoln International as their exclusive corporate finance adviser to secure a new long-term partner for The Groucho Club that would respect its place in London’s cultural landscape and share its vision for the future. Lincoln’s deep sector expertise and execution capabilities enabled an efficient exit process that delivered an attractive exit multiple to the shareholders during testing market conditions. The tightly managed and focused auction process resulted in Artfarm being selected as the right partner for The Groucho Club given their respect for its history and their pledge to create a long-term future for The Groucho Club.

Our Perspective

Alex Masters, Managing Director in Lincoln’s Consumer Group, commented, “It has been a pleasure working with the shareholders and management team of the legendary Groucho Club to reach an attractive outcome for all at an outlier exit multiple. Artfarm represents the perfect home for the club and their creative focus, pedigree in art and excellence in hospitality combines well with the unique maverick spirit of the club. We are pleased to have found a uniquely positioned buyer to support The Groucho Club to create a long-term future.”

Artfarm

Artfarm was founded in 2014 by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the internationally respected art gallery Hauser & Wirth. That year, Artfarm opened its first restaurant, Roth Bar & Grill, as part of Hauser & Wirth’s art center in Bruton, England. In 2018, it opened The Fife Arms in Braemar, Scotland, a Victorian coaching inn that underwent extensive restoration to return the building to its former glory. Other Artfarm properties include the Manuela restaurant in Los Angeles and Durslade Farmhouse and Durslade Farm Shop in Somerset, England. Artfarm believes that the most sustainable creative developments weave together art, community, learning, people and place. Artfarm is pioneering a new way of working which protects the environment, invests in people and infrastructure and supports communities. Working in both rural and urban settings, the company hosts diverse audiences in sites which connect with their heritage and future.

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