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| Marston's toasts record Christmas sales for fourth year running | Marston's toasts record Christmas sales for fourth year running |
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| The pub and brewing company Marston’s, which owns Pitcher & Piano bars and Pedigree ales, enjoyed record Christmas sales for the fourth year running. | |
| Sales in its pubs and bars topped £3m on Christmas Day for the first time. Marston’s reported 3% like-for-like sales growth at its 400 premium managed pubs in the 16 weeks to 23 January. Food sales were 2.5% ahead while drinks recorded 3.4% growth. | Sales in its pubs and bars topped £3m on Christmas Day for the first time. Marston’s reported 3% like-for-like sales growth at its 400 premium managed pubs in the 16 weeks to 23 January. Food sales were 2.5% ahead while drinks recorded 3.4% growth. |
| Over the key Christmas and new year fortnight to 2 January, sales growth was even stronger, at 4.9%, and operating margins were ahead of last year. | |
| The news drove the company’s shares nearly 6% higher to 159.4p in early trading on Tuesday, making it one of the top risers on the FTSE 250. | The news drove the company’s shares nearly 6% higher to 159.4p in early trading on Tuesday, making it one of the top risers on the FTSE 250. |
| Marston’s has about 1,600 managed, franchised and leased pubs and is Britain’s largest brewer of cask ales. Aside from Pedigree, its other beers include BankMarstons’s, Jennings, Hobgoblin and Brakspear. | Marston’s has about 1,600 managed, franchised and leased pubs and is Britain’s largest brewer of cask ales. Aside from Pedigree, its other beers include BankMarstons’s, Jennings, Hobgoblin and Brakspear. |
| Brewing volumes rose 21%, boosted by the acquisition of Thwaites and underpinned by a strong sales performance in off-licences and supermarkets, Marston’s said. | Brewing volumes rose 21%, boosted by the acquisition of Thwaites and underpinned by a strong sales performance in off-licences and supermarkets, Marston’s said. |
| Supermarkets have toasted soaring sales of sparkling wine, beer and gin at bargain prices, which delivered a better than expected Christmas for grocers, according to analysts at Kantar Worldpanel. | Supermarkets have toasted soaring sales of sparkling wine, beer and gin at bargain prices, which delivered a better than expected Christmas for grocers, according to analysts at Kantar Worldpanel. |
| German discount chains Aldi and Lidl have won over middle-class shoppers by offering cheap deals on alcohol, including champagne, prompting others to follow suit. | |
| Marston’s best performing franchise pub achieved £30,000 of sales a week over the Christmas period. Profits at leased pubs are up 3%. | Marston’s best performing franchise pub achieved £30,000 of sales a week over the Christmas period. Profits at leased pubs are up 3%. |
| The company wants to focus on pub restaurants that cater for families. Its boss Ralph Findlay has an “F-Plan” – “food, families, females and forty to fifty somethings” – to tap into the growing market for eating out. It plans to open at least 20 pub restaurants and five lodges in the current financial year. | The company wants to focus on pub restaurants that cater for families. Its boss Ralph Findlay has an “F-Plan” – “food, families, females and forty to fifty somethings” – to tap into the growing market for eating out. It plans to open at least 20 pub restaurants and five lodges in the current financial year. |
| The N+1 Singer analyst Sahill Shan said: “It has outperformed strong like-for-like comparatives in the first quarter, the wider Coffer Peach benchmark and had an excellent Christmas trading period. Fundamentally, this demonstrates the much improved quality of the group’s earnings and consumer proposition.” | The N+1 Singer analyst Sahill Shan said: “It has outperformed strong like-for-like comparatives in the first quarter, the wider Coffer Peach benchmark and had an excellent Christmas trading period. Fundamentally, this demonstrates the much improved quality of the group’s earnings and consumer proposition.” |
| Marston’s outperformed rivals the Restaurant Group and JD Wetherspoon, which warned on profits last week and blamed increased labour costs. | Marston’s outperformed rivals the Restaurant Group and JD Wetherspoon, which warned on profits last week and blamed increased labour costs. |