‘Dwarfed by other costs’ – Why cutting business rates for pubs won’t save the sector Hospitality Andy Burnham has unveiled his long-awaited support for the UK’s struggling pubs, but the hospitality industry is contending with far more pressures than just business rates Andy Burnham’s pledge to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues is expected to save each venue more than £1,000 next year in a move that comes [...]
World Cup: Boost for pubs as Brits set to buy 1m pints during England vs Mexico Hospitality Brits are poised to buy one million extra pints throughout the England and Mexico’s World Cup showdown, in what is set to be the one of the booziest Sunday nights the country has ever seen. The fixture in Mexico City – which will kick off at 1am BST – is expected to spark a major [...]
Marston’s: New pub strategy helps sales hospitality Pub giant Marston’s has said its switch from brewing to ‘pure-play hospitality’ is progressing ahead of schedule and showing encouraging results. Like-for-like sales for the 15 weeks to 12 July 2025 rose 2.9 per cent, in line with expectations, Marston’s told markets this morning. Excluding the impact of last year Euro 2024 Championships, like-for-like sales [...]
All the pubs hiking the price of a pint after Budget tax raid March 19, 2025 Shepherd Neame announced this morning that it would be forced to raise prices at its 290 pubs due to cost pressures from last October’s budget. The family business follows a host of other hospitality companies in raising prices, with the average price of a pint set to go up by six to eight per cent, [...]
Pub chain Marston’s toasts record festive sales boost January 21, 2025 Pub chain Marston’s has reported a “solid” festive quarter and record sales on Christmas day in another good sign for the hospitality sector. Total retail sales in the 16 weeks to January 18 were up three per cent, driven by growth in both food and drink sales, Marston’s said. Like-for-like sales during the same period [...]
Marston’s rings in Christmas bookings as profit jumps in ‘defining year’ December 3, 2024 Pub operator Marston’s has surpassed market expectations as pre-Christmas bookings begin to introduce hope for another bumper year of trade. The Wolverhampton-headquartered firm told markets this morning that its total revenue for the year ending 28 September, 2024, increased to £898.6m, up three per cent from £872.3m the prior 12 months. Pre-tax profit for Marston’s [...]
Badenoch claims Reeves’s Budget was designed to ‘milk private sector’ November 13, 2024 The Labour government’s “ideological” Budget was “designed to milk the private sector”, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed. Quizzing Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today, the Conservative leader accused the Labour leader of “having nothing to offer but platitudes”. She said: “Their ideological Budget was designed to milk the private sector and [...]
Brewing giant slumped to loss ahead of Marston’s selling up to Carlsberg August 27, 2024 The brewing joint venture worth almost £800m between Marston’s and Carlsberg slumped to a loss in the year before the pub giant sold its stake, it has been revealed. Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company made a pre-tax loss of £25.2m in 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, having posted a pre-tax profit of £7.1m [...]
Fuller’s snaps up pint-sized Warwickshire pub chain Lovely Pubs August 6, 2024 Fuller’s has snapped up a chain of seven pubs in Warwickshire in a deal worth £22.5m. Fuller’s said it had bought the Lovely Pubs group, which has a seven-strong portfolio of six freehold sites and one pub with a 16-bedroom inn. The firm said the deal would expand its presence in the Midlands as it [...]
Marston’s: Euros boost for pub chain after Carlsberg deal July 24, 2024 England's success at the Euros helped boost sales at one of the UK's largest pub chains, weeks after the company sold its brewing business to Carlsberg.