M&B leads way with 220 smoke-free pubs

A total of around 220 Mitchells & Butlers food-focused pubs are now non-smoking, the Morning Advertiser has learnt.

The move means M&B is now the UK's biggest operator of non-smoking pubs - JD Wetherspoon has around 100 such outlets.We are very deliberately focusing on this eating-out market, which is growing hugely​Kathryn Holland, M&B spokeswoman

40% of pubs smoke free​Smoking is now banned at about 40% of M&B's 560-strong Restaurant Division, which includes Harvester, Vintage Inns, Toby Carvery and Pub Carvery, All Bar One and Browns, as well as premium country dining pubs.

M&B has been taking a view on whether to ban smoking on a site-by-site basis when an outlet comes up for refurbishment, said company spokeswoman Kathryn Holland.

Factors​Holland said the choice would depend on a number of factors such as whether the venue has a lot of smoking customers.

She said the move to non-smoking is part of M&B's long-term strategy to increase food sales - smoke-free pubs have been shown to attract more diners.

Food​Food currently accounts for 32% of sales across the M&B estate, which is expected to be rise to nearly 40% within the next two to three years.

"We are very deliberately focusing on this eating-out market, which is growing hugely. Ahead of the smoking ban, it seems sensible that in places where people are going to eat we should consider banning smoking."​

Holland said M&B has no number in mind for how many non-smoking pubs it will operate before next summer's smoking ban for England and Wales.

Restaurants​The 220 non-smoking outlets do not include the 239 pub restaurants recently acquired from Whitbread, which are being divided between different M&B brands.