England-Ghana match and heatwave boosts draught sales by 77%
The late June heatwave combined with World Cup football has seen sales soar in pubs and bars.
Financial
St Austell reports pub sales growth despite tough trading
St Austell Brewery has reported turnover growth for 2025, while continuing to invest across its pubs, beers, people and systems.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Gulf peace deal starts to take pressure off pub energy bills
For months, pub energy prices moved only one way: the road back to pre-conflict levels kept getting longer, not shorter.
Growth continues to be driven by higher prices over volume
Year-on-year growth for hospitality businesses has been below the UK’s rate of inflation for 13 consecutive months as higher prices drive growth over volume.
‘Ability to innovate’ crucial to sector growth
Strong leisure demand and major events are expected to support hospitality growth over the next six months, new research has revealed.
Emeny hails ‘healthy’ trading at Fuller’s
Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny hailed “healthy” trading at the pub group, after the business delivered growth across multiple areas.
Fuller’s blasts ‘unprecedented Government interference’ on sector
Changes in the pub industry over the past decade has been ‘a period of unprecedented Government interference, additional taxes and regulations’, Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny has said.
Clarkson: ‘We’re fully booked every day but still losing money’
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub the Farmer’s Dog made a pre-tax loss of more than £8,000 in its first quarter of trading despite being fully booked, the TV presenter has revealed.
Confidence in hospitality sector outpaces UK average
Confidence in the hospitality and leisure sector has climbed to 88%, ahead of the UK average of 83%, as operators invest for growth despite rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty.
Theakston announces 5% turnover lift as demand for cask rises
Yorkshire-based T&R Theakston brewery has announced a 5% lift in turnover for its financial year ended 31 December 2025.
Butcombe’s managed arm ‘stand-out performer’ in record-breaking results
Multiple pub operator and brewer Butcombe Group’s managed division saw like-for-like growth of 8%, it was reported in the company’s latest results.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Gas prices rise for pubs after US hits Iran and hot weather sets in
Nationwide Energy Consultants explores ongoing changes to energy costs for the hospitality sector as the Middle East war continues.
Market update: Ongoing energy pressures facing pub operators today
With prices unlikely to fall soon, energy remains a key pressure for operators. Get the latest outlook and practical next steps.
M&B posts ‘robust’ first half of financial year, lfl sales up 3.3%
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has delivered a “robust” performance during the first half of its latest financial year with life-for-like sales up 3.3% on the same period as last year.
Young’s boss ‘delighted’ with ‘exceptional set of results’
London-based pub company Young’s has reported record performance in its latest trading update.
C&C announces ‘renewed focus’ after fall in net revenue and EBITDA
C&C Group has announced a net revenue decline of 5.7% while adjusted EBITDA fell by 7.7% to €104.3m.
Robinsons smashes £100m turnover in record year
Stockport-based brewer and pub operator Robinsons has smashed its own records by surpassing £100m in turnover in its latest financial year.
Operators ‘must not be lulled into false sense of security’ after food prices drop
Food and drink prices fell by 1.4% month on month in March, according to the latest data.
Marston’s new pub formats set to drive business growth
Pub company Marston’s has exceeded its target on new pub format refurbishments.
Inside Butcombe’s latest refurb after £1.3m investment
Multiple operator Butcombe Group has reopend the newly expanded Brown Cow in Fulham, west London after the company’s largest single investment in the capital to date.
Discounting works as a quick fix but can be damaging in the long run, operators warned
While 48% of consumers revealed discounts or multi-offers would encourage them to visit a hospitality venue, operators have been warned not to compromise on quality.
Demand for Guinness contributes to Diageo sales growth
Strong demand for Guinness in the UK and Ireland contributed to 8.8% growth in net sales in Europe for Diageo.
Pub & bar market worth £24.6bn in 2026
The UK pubs and bars market value is set to reach £24.6bn by the end of this year, according to a new report.
Interest rates hold offers ‘little relief’ for sector
The Bank of England’s (BoE) decision to hold interest rates offered “little relief” for pubs as operators continue to face “huge challenges”, industry leaders have said.
Fuel price surge hits pubs with fresh supplier surcharges
Pubs are being hit by a “tidal wave” of cost pressure as soaring fuel prices begin to feed through the supply chain, prompting suppliers to introduce new delivery surcharges.
Tube strikes knock hospitality revenue by 18%
Last week’s industrial action across the Tube network contributed to a sharp drop in hospitality revenue across the capital, data from employee experience platform Harri has shown.
THE MONTHLY ROUND
THE MONTHLY ROUND: Steady trade masks midweek pressure
Pubs have reported steady but increasingly hard-won trade, with midweek performance the biggest pressure point despite pockets of growth.
Inflation pressure leaves sector with ‘no room to absorb costs’
Rising inflation has prompted warnings for hospitality operators with one trade body warning there is “no room” left for businesses to absorb further cost pressures.
Insolvencies up even before war, expert expects more pain
Government figures show insolvencies in the accommodation and food services sector have leapt 22% month-on-month.
‘Drinks on me’: Sacha Lord seeks pub for £2,500 bar tab
Industry campaigner Sacha Lord has called on the public to nominate a Greater Manchester pub to receive a £2,500 bar tab as part of his latest drive to raise awareness on pub closures.
Stonegate says partnership model driving resilience as FY25 losses narrow
Stonegate Group has said its shift towards a more partnership-led model is improving the resilience of the business, as revenue and profit declined slightly in FY25 but losses narrowed.
Food-led visits drive record spend in pubs
March delivered a record high in spend per head across the on-trade, driven by food-led occasions and a continued shift towards premium serves, according to new data.
Village pub strengthens facilities to support community
A pub in Llandwrog, North Wales, has enhanced its facilities to support local residents through Government funding and support from Pub is the Hub.
Pubs urged to be on ‘high alert’ despite falling food inflation
Foodservice inflation fell in February but heightened geopolitical uncertainty threatens to prolong the pressure for hospitality businesses, new data has shown.
Energy firms ‘getting richer’ at the expense of small businesses
Energy suppliers are “getting richer” at the expense of small businesses, operators have lamented, as costs across the sector continue to soar.
‘Relentless’ price hikes slammed as fuel costs hit pub visits
Rising fuel costs are placing further strain on pubs across the UK, with operators warning of reduced consumer spending and mounting pressure on margins.
Survey: Help shape industry calls for energy support
A trade association is calling on hospitality operators support in assessing the levels of concern across the sector on rising energy prices.
More than 2 pub and bar firms collapsed daily in 2025
The number of pub and bar companies falling into insolvency increased 2.6% to 789 in 2025, equating to 2.2 a day, new analysis has found.
JDW reveals plans to open up to 35 pubs
Pub giant JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is looking to open around 15 managed pubs and 15 to 20 franchised pubs in the current financial year, it revealed in a recent trading update.
OPINION
OPINION: Do we need a sense of perspective?
The vitriolic response to the Government heralded launch of an energy saving initiative might well have taken the powers that be by surprise, but perhaps the industry does needs to regain a sense of perspective.
Warning about beer price hike due to Iran war
Operators have been advised to expect increased prices on products such as beer, food and furniture due to rising oil and gas prices as a result of the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
PROPERTY ROUND-UP
PROPERTY: East London Brewing Co. reopens historic pub
This week’s property round-up features investments from East London Brewing Co., Heartwood Collection and Admiral Taverns.
‘Jaw-dropping’ response to ‘clueless’ Gov advice on energy saving
The Government’s launch of an energy saving tool for pubs has been greeted with outrage from operators already struggling with spiking energy costs.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Energy costs rising dramatically due to Gulf conflict
Energy markets are in turmoil due to the ongoing war between the US and Israel against Iran.
Dwell time up but spending remains measured at pubs and bars
Hospitality customers spent an average of almost 2.5 hours per visit in venues during February but are being thrifty with their money, new research suggests.
Tilray Brands acquires BrewDog Australia
Tilray Brands has completed the acquisition of BrewDog’s Australian business, BrewDog Brewing Australia Pty Ltd.
Pubs outperforming market amid growing economic uncertainty
Pubs outperformed the market last month as health trends hit takeaway outlets and falling consumer confidence continued to steer trade away from restaurants, new data has revealed.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Trump & TNUoS drive up energy costs
The commodity costs of energy are rising sharply due to the US-Israeli military action against Iran.
Guinness sales soar as revenue falls at Diageo
Diageo has reported a 2.9% uptick in UK sales, driven by double-digit growth in Guinness and strong performance from spirits, including ready-to-drink (RTD) products.
Admiral boss ‘pleased with strong progress against business’ growth strategy’
Community pub group Admiral Taverns “remains focused on growing its estate”, CEO Chris Jowsey outlined as the business reported its latest financial results.