Wet weather fails to dampen Marston's

DESPITE the wettest ever July, pub and brewery group Marston's, which owns the Pitcher & Piano chain, said it remains on track to meet expectations for the current financial year.

Trading across all three of its divisions - managed pubs, tenanted and leased pubs, and brewing - is said to be improving.

Pub operators throughout the UK have struggled through the recession during the past two years as weaker consumer confidence and low-price offers from the supermarkets have convinced many drinkers to stay at home.

But Marston's managed pubs, accounting for 38 per cent of operating profits, recorded a 1.7 per cent rise in like-for-like sales during the period, driven by a 2.5 per cent increase in food sales.

There was an overall increase of 2.7 per cent during the 11 weeks to the end of July.

Across the sector, managed pubs have tended to perform better than their tenanted counterparts, which have less flexibility on pricing and promotions.

Like-for-like profits in the tenanted and leased pubs division were 4 per cent lower.

The brewing division, which accounts for about 10 per cent of group operating profit, substantially outperformed the 6 per cent decline across the broader UK beer market.

Marston's said it remained on course to meet its target to add 60 large managed pub-restaurants within three years, with 15 expected to open by the end of the financial year.