Duncan Bannatyne unveils fresh padel court openings, including in Scotland, as health club sales grow
“The success has been achieved in the face of an increase in the rate of employer’s national insurance, which added £2m to the company’s costs” – Duncan Bannatyne
Bannatyne Group, the health club and hospitality business with 11 venues in Scotland, has posted record turnover and profits.
The firm, founded by Scots-born entrepreneur and former BBC Dragon Duncan Bannatyne, said customer service, staff training and cost controls had paid off as it delivered underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of £43.7 million for 2025, marking growth of more than 14 per cent in two years.
Turnover grew by 6 per cent to £158m year on year and membership numbers remained strong, finishing the year at 219,743, up from 219,500 in 2024 and 215,659 in 2023.
Bannatyne Group operates from 70 locations across the UK, encompassing health clubs, spas and three hotels.
Bannatyne, who is executive chairman, said: “The business has delivered impressive results against difficult economic headwinds brought about by government policy from April 2025. Nearly 3,000 staff throughout the UK have worked together to maintain a growing business, delivering popular services to a large cohort of loyal members.
“The company has been an active investor in the market. It 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 advanced, all weather padel courts, which are also available to non-members.
“We will be announcing further investments in padel throughout 2026 in Norwich, Livingston, Basingstoke, Chafford Hundred, Stratford on Avon, Colchester and Grove Park.”
He added: “The success has been achieved in the face of an increase in the rate of employer’s national insurance, which added £2m to the company’s costs. Meanwhile, the government’s energy policies have failed to deliver any control on spiralling business energy tariffs at a time when energy represents 11 per cent of the cost base of Bannatyne Group.”
The group’s locations in Scotland are: Aberdeen, Ayr, Dumfries, Dunfermline, Edinburgh city centre, Edinburgh Newcraighall, Falkirk, Inverness, Livingston, Perth and Stepps.
In 2025, Bannatyne Group acquired the former Beechdown Leisure Club, a premium health and wellbeing facility in Basingstoke, and opened its first padel courts in Ingleby Barwick, Teesside.
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