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| Wetherspoon enjoys caffeine hit | Wetherspoon enjoys caffeine hit |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has said it is now selling as much coffee as Caffe Nero as it pushes non-alcoholic drink sales in its outlets. | |
| The firm said it had now cornered 6% of the UK's "chain" coffee market, which features the likes of Starbucks. | The firm said it had now cornered 6% of the UK's "chain" coffee market, which features the likes of Starbucks. |
| The move helped Wetherspoon lift annual pre-tax profits by 24% to £58.4m ($111m) in the year to 31 July. | The move helped Wetherspoon lift annual pre-tax profits by 24% to £58.4m ($111m) in the year to 31 July. |
| It said it was confident of adapting well to next year's smoking ban - with 92 of its premises already smoke-free. | It said it was confident of adapting well to next year's smoking ban - with 92 of its premises already smoke-free. |
| Overall sales were up 5% to £847.5m. | Overall sales were up 5% to £847.5m. |
| Alongside pushing coffee sales, it has also been taking advantage of the High Street location of many of its 657 pubs by opening early and now serves about 200,000 breakfasts a week. | Alongside pushing coffee sales, it has also been taking advantage of the High Street location of many of its 657 pubs by opening early and now serves about 200,000 breakfasts a week. |
| Smoke ban | Smoke ban |
| In the first half of its financial year, Wetherspoon's converted 17 of its pubs into non-smoking venues ahead of the forthcoming change in the law. In the second half of the year, sales in those venues fell 6.5%. | In the first half of its financial year, Wetherspoon's converted 17 of its pubs into non-smoking venues ahead of the forthcoming change in the law. In the second half of the year, sales in those venues fell 6.5%. |
| Wetherspoon's chairman Tim Martin said that the short-term effect of a change to non-smoking was "typically", a drop in sales and profits. | Wetherspoon's chairman Tim Martin said that the short-term effect of a change to non-smoking was "typically", a drop in sales and profits. |
| But he added: "Wetherspoon has strongly supported the principle of pubs becoming non-smoking, and is confident about the company's medium and long-term prospects in this environment." | But he added: "Wetherspoon has strongly supported the principle of pubs becoming non-smoking, and is confident about the company's medium and long-term prospects in this environment." |
| The smoking ban in pubs will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from March 2007 - a year after it was introduced in Scotland. | The smoking ban in pubs will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from March 2007 - a year after it was introduced in Scotland. |