who owns butlins
Butlin’s is currently owned by the Harris family, via the Harris Family Trusts, which bought the business back from Blackstone and Bourne Leisure in a deal worth about £300 million.
Who owns Butlin’s now?
- The Harris family (founders of Bourne Leisure) own Butlin’s through a newly formed company backed by the Harris Family Trusts.
- They previously owned Butlin’s for about two decades before selling Bourne Leisure (including Butlin’s) to Blackstone in 2021, then bought Butlin’s back in 2022 in a carve‑out deal.
- The deal separated the operating business from most of the property, which had been sold earlier to the Universities Superannuation Scheme, a large UK pension fund.
Quick timeline
- 2000s–2020: Butlin’s operated under Bourne Leisure, owned by the Harris, Cook and Allen families.
- Jan 2021: Blackstone acquired Bourne Leisure (including Butlin’s), with the founding families keeping a minority stake.
- July 2022: The Butlin’s property portfolio was sold to the Universities Superannuation Scheme for about £300m.
- Sept 2022: The Harris family trusts bought back the Butlin’s operating business for around £300m, becoming the new owners again.
At a glance (ownership vs property)
| Aspect | Who is involved? | What they own/do |
|---|---|---|
| Brand & operations | Harris family / Harris Family Trusts | Own and run the Butlin’s holiday business and resorts. | [3][7][1]
| Resort properties | Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) | Owns much of the underlying Butlin’s real estate, leased back to the business. | [1]
| Former majority owner | Blackstone & Bourne Leisure | Bought Bourne Leisure in 2021, then later sold Butlin’s to the Harris-backed company. | [9][7]
TL;DR
If you’re asking “who owns Butlin’s” right now, it’s the Harris family (via their trusts and holding company), with a separate pension fund owning much of the physical resort sites.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.