Lionesses’ win sees punters splurge £18.9m on drinks in the pub
Footie fans flocking to the pub to support England’s win in the Women’s World Cup semi final against Australia were forecast to spend £18.9m on drinks in hospitality venues across the UK, a study has shown, in a welcomed boost to the sector.
Total spending across the two stages of the semi-final rounds – including Spain’s victorious match against Sweden – has been forecast to generate a total of £32m for pubs and restaurants across the UK.
But early start times saw customers favouring PG Tips over pints with a record 74.5m cups of tea consumed throughout the 90-minute matches, according to a study by Vouchercodes.co.uk.
It comes amid a challenging period for the UK hospitality sector which has been battered by a slowdown in spending due to the cost of living crisis.
However sporting events – such as the Rugby Six Nations and the Men’s World Cup – have helped drag punters back to pubs.
“Pubs are unrivalled in the camaraderie, atmosphere and passion they bring to watching live sport,” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said.
“There’s nowhere better than the local to cheer on the Lionesses, and we’re hoping the team’s success so far, combined with a long-awaited spell of sunny weather, will be encouraging even more people to get to the pub to show their support in turn providing a boost to our pubs and brewers.”