McMullen's hits out at tax burden despite like-for-like sales rise

The company said that after a challenging start to the current financial year with like-for-like sales in managed houses up only 1.7% at the end of March it had seen some “excellent performances” in the last 10 weeks to the extent that like-for-like sales are now up 3.4%.

The group, which again called on the Government to reduce taxation in the sector, saw turnover rise by 5% to £63.8m.

Profit before tax and exceptional items stood at £6.6m down 11% on the previous year, which the company said was due to a number of one off items, in particular refunds in VAT and property rates along with pension fund adjustments.

Without these distortions, there was a small increase in underlying profit for 2012. Total sales in managed houses were up 5.9%, which it said was helped by “successful developments of existing pubs and the opening of a new Baroosh in Bishops Stortford”.

Chairman Charles Brims said: “Against the background of one of the wettest summers for a hundred years our growth in like-for like sales of 2.9% is creditable but it is barely enough to cover the increase in like-for-like costs in running pubs.

“Acquisitions of good long term sites is therefore very important so I am pleased to report that since the year end we have developed and re-opened the Britannia in Marlow which we acquired during the year. Also in Marlow, we opened, just before Christmas a new Baroosh in a former bank building that we acquired some years ago for this purpose."

Worrying development​
Managing director Peter Furness-Smith said: “After a challenging start to the current financial year with like-for-like sales in managed houses up only 1.7% at the end of March we are pleased that the last 10 weeks have seen some excellent performances to the extent that like-for-like sales are now up 3.4%.

“The outlook however continues to be uncertain as the Government is once again considering interfering in commercial agreements agreed between pub companies and their tenants.

“We all know that rent (in our case fixed cash rent combined with variable, performance related, tied income) represents a significant proportion of the cost of running any business. In the case of pubs, total rent pales into insignificance compared with the cost of Government, including taxation which amounts to over 40% of gross sales of a small community pub!

“In theory the proposal will not affect regional brewers and pub companies such as McMullen but the prospect of politicians overriding commercial agreements and effectively setting rents in our sector is a very worrying development.

“If a Government, like the current one, with a stated commitment to reducing red tape is contemplating this sort of interference heaven help the prospects for investment by the private sector and therefore our economy. If any Government really wants to help pubs they need to reduce their pernicious levels of taxation.”