Staycation entrant Caledonian Leisure gets motoring with multi-million investment

A new staycation holiday specialist has secured a multi-million-pound injection from the investors behind the upcoming stock market flotation of Parsley Box, the Edinburgh-based meal delivery firm.

Caledonian Leisure has received the investment from Mobeus Equity Partners, which was also behind the recent initial public offering (IPO) of Virgin Wines.

The firm will offer short breaks and holidays throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe under the brands Caledonian Travel and UKBreakaways.com.

Having secured the investment, the experienced team behind Caledonian Leisure is now in the process of launching a programme of coach and self-drive holidays for 2021.

The firm will offer short breaks and holidays throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe under the brands Caledonian Travel and UKBreakaways.com.

Managing director Graham Rogers said: “It was always our absolute priority to find the right kind of partner for the business and we are delighted to welcome Mobeus on board. From the outset the whole Mobeus team bought into our vision for Caledonian Leisure, and we look forward to working together to implement our strategy.”

The travel firm is headed by non-executive chairman Gary Speakman as well as MD Rogers and commercial director Martin Lock. Product director Carl Brackenbury, finance director David McDonald and IT and digital director Mark Williams comprise the remaining founding shareholders.

Greg Blin, investment director at Mobeus, said: “Mobeus is backing an extremely passionate management team which has decades of experience in delivering UK-based, value short breaks to hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers.

“With the pandemic opening customers’ eyes to the enduring appeal of a UK staycation, we believe the business is perfectly positioned to capitalise on the spike in demand as lockdown restrictions are gradually eased and thrive thereafter.”

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