Bristol’s Bottle Yard Studios has disclosed its financial position for the first time, following a Freedom of Information request that the council took 64 days to answer — more than three times the 20-day statutory limit. The information reveals that the council-owned studios, the largest film and television production facility in the West of England, is an income-generating operation rather than a cost to the public purse.
The way Bristol City Council presents its internal budgets means a negative figure indicates a surplus target rather than a loss. For 2025-2026, the Bottle Yard’s budget was recorded as -£177,625, meaning the studios were targeting a surplus of that amount. It is understood the studios did achieve a surplus for the year, though whether the full target was reached is not yet confirmed as the council has not completed its year-end accounting. For 2026-2027, the budget figure is -£81,740, reflecting a lower but still positive income expectation. The studios are said to be fully funded for the next 12 months.
The Bottle Yard is based in Hengrove and is owned and operated by Bristol City Council. Its two sites and eleven stages have hosted significant productions in recent years, including BBC comedy-drama Boarders and Sky Original thriller Inheritance. Over 2024-2025, Bristol Film Office — a council division — reported that productions in the city contributed more than £46 million to the local economy. The Bottle Yard supported 29 major productions across the period, comprising three feature films and 26 high-end television productions, across 736 filming days in-studio and on location.
The release of this information follows years of refusals. Journalists, local councillors and members of the public had repeatedly been told that the studios’ financial details were commercially sensitive. The council declined a separate FOI request on the same subject shortly before responding to this one.
A number of other requests were still refused. The council would not disclose the salary of Katherine Nash, the head of studios appointed in September, citing data protection. It also declined to identify who was involved in a failed sale process last year — a transaction that collapsed and cost taxpayers around £430,000. Asked whether the studios would be put back up for sale, the council said no decision had been made and that the Bottle Yard remains open for business.