Newmarket Holidays was founded by Jeremy Griffin and Toni Frei in 1983, with Simon Hibbs joining as managing director in 1984 and chief executive Niel Alobaidi arriving in 2019.
Over the past 40 years, the Surrey-headquartered company has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independently owned specialist travel tour operators, offering a range of group escorted tours, events and cruises.
It’s now received investment from Soho Square to further expand its destination portfolio and seize new opportunities across various markets.
Current owners Simon Hibbs, Jeremy Griffin, Toni Frei and Niel Alobaidi remain majority shareholders of Newmarket Holidays.
They were advised on the deal by BDO and Osborne Clarke.
Niel said: “This partnership with Soho Square Capital brings an exciting new chapter for Newmarket Holidays, and we’re very grateful to all the BDO team for their support in delivering this.
“Their expert advice and determination were critical for the completion of this complex deal.”
Harry Stoakes, partner at BDO, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to advise the Newmarket team on their investment from Soho Square Capital.
“The business continues to grow and develop its offering as it provides unforgettable experiences to its customers.
“Newmarket has huge positive trading momentum behind it, and the partnership with Soho will help it continue to thrive and to provide more memorable tours for more customers.”
Niel added that Osborne Clarke were “professional, knowledgeable and efficient from start to finish.
“Thank you to all the team that helped us to get this deal over the line.”
The Osborne Clarke team advising on the transaction was led by corporate partner Edward Persse, with Krish Mistry and Mary Hughes supporting.
Ben Doeh and Tracey Wright provided tax support.
