Pubs give taxman £70m royal wedding boost
With licensing hours for Friday 18 May and Saturday 19 May extended by two hours from 11pm to 1am for the royal wedding, and with Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup final taking place on Saturday evening, an extra £20m is expected to have been spent in pubs on ‘Super Saturday’ alone – compared to usual Saturday trade.
Food is believed to have benefited most from the bumper weekend, with sales predicted to have increased by 8% – generating £16m for the Treasury through VAT.
Beer sales are predicted to have increased by 5%, resulting in over 100m pints being poured over the weekend, generating £54m for the taxman through duty and VAT.
Chancellor will also be celebrating
British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chief executive Brigid Simmonds OBE said: “The royal wedding was a fantastic spectacle with the great British pub providing the perfect place for the nation to celebrate.
“The relaxed licensing hours were welcomed by pubgoers looking to make the most of the historic occasion while providing a real boost to the pub trade.
“Given that a third of the price of a pint in a pub goes straight to the taxman, the Chancellor will also be celebrating.”
Daniel Park, general manager of the Duchess of Cambridge in Windsor, Berkshire, added: “The royal wedding was an exceptional event with both tourists and locals alike coming to enjoy the occasion in our pub.
“Thanks to the extended hours and good weather, it was also a record breaking day of sales for us. In the six years I’ve run the pub I’ve never known it be so busy!”
Lucy Longworth, general manager of the Lifeboat Inn, St Ives, Cornwall, said: “We had a really good turnout for Meghan and Harry’s wedding, with tables full throughout the day.
“We showed the wedding from 10am, followed by football at 5pm and then had a band to celebrate the wedding from 9pm.
“Many people stayed on for all three events which was great. Our bar sales increased by 50% on the previous Saturday.”
Lets get on the royal wedding hype........ #RoyalWedding#prosecco#bubblespic.twitter.com/gQ1TxpgJqc
— The Coach and Horses (@TheCoachHorses) May 19, 2018
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— Brick Brewery SE15 (@brick_brewery) May 19, 2018
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— Red Lion Shepperton (@rlionshepperton) May 19, 2018
Great scenes today for the #RoyalWedding Almost time to charge your glasses pic.twitter.com/T1Ynz7NOCs
— Admiralty London (@AdmiraltyLondon) May 19, 2018
Made some effort #royalweddingpic.twitter.com/qQrrCGLSrW
— The Lord Clifden (@TheLordClifden) May 19, 2018
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— The Castle (@TheCastleN1) May 19, 2018
