Pete Marshall, who runs the Kings Arms in Bexleyheath and has recently opened the Star at Sidcup Place, both in south-east London,
He said: “It puts everyone in a happier mood and a result, you tend to see people in offices, peering out the windows desperate to get out and have a beer.
“At the end of last week, on Thursday and Friday, we saw a lot of early evening trade.
“The feel good factor comes in and you get a bit of a longer trade in the earlier part of the evenings.
“We opened the Star last week and saw 30% to 40% more sales than we predicted. I’m no doubt it was because the patio furniture went out.”
While the ongoing headwinds facing the sector continue to be a concern, the warmer weather is a positive for operators, Marshall outlined.
“We haven’t experienced any negativity towards cost increases and hope that continues,” he said.
“We all know what the challenges are still but it fills you with a bit of hope that people are desperate for a good summer to come.
“The sun was a lovely addition last weekend, it puts everyone in a good frame of mind.”
Raising spirits
Optimism around the increased temperature continued with Phil Sutton, who runs the Perry Hill in Perry Hill, south-east London.
He said: “Unannounced nice weather in spring is always great for raising people’s spirits and with it, trade.
“This can cool just as quickly as the temperature once the sun goes in and can be quite unpredictable.
“There’s always a cold snap around the corner so you really do have to make hay when the sun shines.
“Once the weather becomes hotter over the summer period, people seem to plan more trips away or events to enjoy the sunshine elsewhere during the daytime and we see them pop to the pub later on the way home.”
The Unruly Pig in Bromeswell, Suffolk is the current number one on the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list.
Owner Brendan Padfield outlined how recent cost hikes for operators have begun to hit.
Remarkably resourceful
He said: “Let’s face it, it’s been a grim week so far. The implementation of an economically incoherent UK Budget has now begun to really hit.
“The Prime Minister rightly bemoans a potentially wasted generation of 18- to 24-year-old NEETs (not in education, employment or training). But, without any sense of hypocrisy, his Government has created a tax on jobs and growth that then disincentivises hospitality to employ those NEET’s who want to work.
“That is before we are also asked to deal the added burden and cost of Angela Rayner’s Employment Rights Bill, which is coming down the line.
“If that were not bad enough, the UK economy will now also be further buffeted by high winds from across the pond. The startling edicts of President Trump on tariffs will be a further serious knock to business and consumer confidence.”
However, Padfield highlighted some areas of hope for the industry including the resilience of the sector and the recent warm weather.
He added: “But before we all descend into doom and gloom perhaps it may just help if we try to focus on a few truisms in what will be a difficult time for our sector:
“The Budget is a plague on every small business in the UK i.e. to some extent we are all in the same boat. It didn’t help, of course, the Government refused to listen and tweak the Budget to partially help hospitality in the recent Spring Statement. Voting in the pending local elections at least has the ability to deliver a clear message to the Government that enough is enough. That might become an important message given the pronouncements in Washington DC this week (but also because of the pre-existing speculation that Rachel Reeves may impose yet more taxes in the Autumn Budget). Tariffs must make that prospect more likely but, on a positive note…it’s an ill wind etc…so trade deals could be around the corner.
“Hospitality has resiliently managed so many hurdles in recent years – Covid, Brexit, the energy crisis, food inflation etc. We got through those crises and we will get through this. The sector has shown itself to be remarkably resourceful and inventive in the face of adversity
“And if all else fails, we should be thankful just for this moment as that the sun is currently shining! Our teams therefore feel better about life and their smiles become wider. Our customers spirits are then also lifted by the glorious weather and they then tend to spend a little more.
“And we can then hope this early spring sun means we are all set fair for warm and sunny summer, which will be good for all our tills.”
