It has been another year of strong progress for PKF Smith Cooper, marked by continued momentum across our Corporate Finance, Transaction Advisory Services and Transactions Tax teams, and another impressive set of outcomes for our clients.
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It has been another year of strong progress for PKF Smith Cooper, marked by continued momentum across our Corporate Finance, Transaction Advisory Services and Transactions Tax teams, and another impressive set of outcomes for our clients. Deal volumes saw an increase on 2024, with a total deal value of £400m, an average deal size of £23.5m, and our largest transaction reaching £85m – demonstrating the depth of opportunities across the mid-market and the trust placed in us by business owners and investors.
Deal highlights
This year we advised on a broad range of transactions across multiple sectors, several of which are showcased in more detail in this Annual Deals Review. These include:
- Sale of R.E.A.L. Education
- Acquisition of Côte Brasserie
- Sale of TBAT Innovation
- Sale of Blakley Electrics
- Sale of Quick Self Storage Peterborough
These represent just a selection of the year’s activity, with our full Annual Deals Review providing a comprehensive summary of the transactions completed in 2025.
Investment in our team and external recognition
As our pipeline continued to expand, so did our teams. We strengthened our M&A capability with the addition of Max Newby to the Corporate Finance team. We also significantly expanded our Transaction Advisory Services offering, welcoming Tom Sinden (Director), Amrit Singh and Brendan Nightingale, enhancing our capacity to deliver high‑quality financial due diligence and broader transaction support.
We were pleased to recognise the contribution and development of our people, with both Deniss Sipovics and Nick Skidmore promoted to Senior Manager and Joe Anderson to Manager – reflecting their continued dedication, technical expertise and vital role in delivering successful outcomes for clients and increased presence in our markets.
We were also pleased to see our work recognised externally, with Darren Hodson nominated for Dealmaker of the Year at Insider’s Midlands Dealmakers’ Awards, and David Crump shortlisted for Rainmaker of the Year at the East Midlands Rainmaker Awards – further testament to the strategic insight and execution capability of the team.
Cross‑border activity
Cross‑border activity remained a consistent feature of our work, with c.20% of transactions involving international parties, mirroring last year’s level. Our deals mix of 63% sell‑side and 37% buy‑side highlights sustained appetite from both UK and overseas strategic acquirors and private equity investors.
Sector activity
Our sector activity remained diverse, with continued strength across industrials and engineering, professional services and food & beverage, where we advised on several significant transactions. The acquisition of Côte Brasserie was the most notable, supported by a number of other strategic food & beverage mandates that underline our presence in the sector.
We also continued to advise across the self-storage, education and consultancy services sectors – in which we expect to see continued activity and consolidation as we move into 2026.
As ever, we are proud to support founders, owner‑managers, management teams, corporates and investors as they navigate pivotal strategic decisions and deliver transformative outcomes.
Outlook for 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, confidence is steadily returning to the UK mid‑market. Anticipated continued reductions in interest rates, improving financing conditions and strong levels of deployable capital among both strategic acquirors and private equity investors are expected to drive continued momentum in M&A. We foresee ongoing consolidation within technology, healthcare, business services, education, professional services and food & beverage, with well‑capitalised buyers actively seeking high‑quality opportunities.
For many business owners, a more stable macroeconomic environment and increased valuation certainty may provide an opportune window to pursue strategic transactions. With strengthened teams across Corporate Finance, Transaction Advisory Services and Transactions Tax, and the global reach of the PKF network, we are well positioned to guide clients through the year ahead and continue delivering exceptional outcomes.
Here to help
By understanding our clients’ aspirations and business issues, we work with you to deliver practical, commercially-viable advice with positivity and tenacity. Whether you are looking to buy, grow organically, sell, or raise finance – we can help. Our partner-led advisory team specialises in comprehensive, high-intensity project-management of deals, ranging from £1m to £250m, but we specialise in deals valued between £5m and £50m. We are equally happy advising at a strategic level, or on discrete aspects of a transaction. Please get in touch to find out more about how we can help you and your business.
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