The 5.1% sales uplift outpaced inflation and marked one of the strongest months of the year for pubs, driven by a late surge in celebratory visits in the run up to Christmas and New Year.
December’s uplift builds on strong festive week trading reported earlier this month, when pubs saw real terms growth over Christmas despite restaurants and bars facing tougher conditions.
Best trading month
Managed restaurants saw modest like for like growth of 0.8%, while bars fell 1.7% year on year.
Even so, December was the best trading month of 2025 for both channels, though pubs comfortably outperformed restaurants every month of the year.
Across pubs, restaurants and bars combined, like for like sales rose 2.9% in December, the tracker’s highest reading since April and the second time in 2025 that growth surpassed 1%.
Total sales, which factor in new site openings, rose 6.2% in December, indicating continued investment across the sector. Growth was slightly stronger outside the M25, with like for like sales up 3% compared with 2.8% in London.
‘Crucial boost’
Karl Chessell, director for hospitality operators and food EMEA at NIQ, said the late festive rally had given many pub operators a crucial boost but warned that cost pressures still dominate the outlook.
“December’s like for like growth was steady rather than spectacular, and it is unlikely to have been enough to offset the extra burden of costs imposed on hospitality over the course of 2025,” he said. “More positively, a late flurry of celebratory drinking out means many pub operators ended the year on a high and start the new year with valuable extra reserves.”
Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said pubs remain the strongest performing channel but are still under strain.
“Pubs continue to trade strongly and are best placed to capitalise on growing consumer confidence as we start the new year,” he commented. “However, they are also contending with significant cost pressures which are disproportionately weighing on the sector, eroding profitability and in some cases accelerating closures. The industry is very much in need of some good news in 2026.”
The December Tracker includes sales data from 118 managed groups across the UK.
