Trading over the Bank Holiday weekend has failed to make up for what has been a wet and gloomy summer for many licensees.
Despite reports of a £525m spending boom over the long weekend, much of the cash appeared to have been spent in DIY stores and off-licences - with many pubs reporting a disappointing turnout.
Brian Rees, past-president of the Guild of Master Victuallers and licensee of the Lord Palmerston in Deptford, South London, said trading this summer had been particularly poor.
"The Bank Holiday weekend was terrible and trade generally over the summer has been appalling. It seems to be pretty bad across this whole area, not just my pub - since January things have just taken a dive," he said.
Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, said: "Trade has varied from outlet to outlet but a lot of pubs failed to capitalise on the World Cup at the start of the summer because they didn't have big screens so the magistrates wouldn't grant them extensions."
He added that the weather had also been bad news for many pubs.
"When the weather was hot the supermarkets sold beer cheaper than licensees can buy it and also sold barbecue equipment which hit trade for pubs. And with torrential rain at times as well, less people have been coming to the pub so its been bad for licensees both ways," he said.
This summer dip in trading follows positive news in The Publican's Market Report earlier this month which found that two-thirds of licensees had seen trade grow in the 12 months to June 2002.
Licensee Gregor Fisher, who runs two pubs called GJ's in Wandsworth and Colliers Wood, south London, said Bank Holiday trade for him was always affected by the fact many pub-goers left London for a weekend break.
He added that even the World Cup at the start of the summer, which was billed as a major boon for licensees, had been variable.
"The World Cup in June was one thing they said would be great for pubs - and it was for the first three matches. But then as it went on people started saving it all up for the big matches and the others were very quiet," he said.
Gordon Marshall, licensee of the Elstead Mill near Godalming in Surrey, was hoping to capitalise on any good weather this year using the pub's massive garden, which includes a water mill. But he said the bad weather had severely hit trade at the pub.
"Our business is down year on year because of the weather this summer. It picked up a little bit over the Bank Holiday weekend because I put on a beer festival to try and pull in every penny I could, but generally it has been very disappointing," he said.