Bank holiday brings boost in trade

The scorching bank holiday weekend weather came as a welcome boost for pubs across the country.

Pubs have recently been hit by a series of trading obstacles, including the smoking ban, disappointing summer weather and the July floods which affected more than 500 pubs.

This summer has been the worst on record, and many publicans have reported a downturn in trade, especially in beer sales.

However, licensees were more upbeat following the sizzling weekend.

Licensee Michael Wells of the Five Horseshoes in Little Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, was pleased with trading over the weekend, seeing it as a welcome boost.

He said: "We were very busy over the weekend and our garden was at full capacity."

Toby Dawson, licensee of the Bedford Tavern in Brighton, East Sussex, also benefited from the good weather. "Trade had been 25 per cent down. Saturday was our busiest day, we had a definite increase in footfall," he said.

The Marble Arch in Manchester reported a busier August than last year with the holiday period helping an uplift in sales. General manager Rob Hamilton said: "We had a good weekend, and the customers we lost to the smoking ban we¹ve gained back in food sales."

However, the Post Office Arms in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, which is a winter seasonal pub, claimed trading is considerably down this year.

Licensee Tony Freeman has spent £12,000 refurbishing his new garden but was disappointed with the weekend trade. He added: "Trade has been consistently down over the past 10 years and significantly since the smoking ban. The weather over the bank holiday had no effect on trade."