In Poole, Dorset, owner of the Barking Cat Alehouse Mark Ambrose told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) trade is currently up around 30% on last year at the wet-led pub, with cask beer sales proving particularly strong over the past four weeks.
The independent site, which was a finalist in the 2024 Great British Pub Awards (GBPA) Best Pub for Beer category, has 24 lines: eight cask, four real cider and 12 craft keg.
“Cask beer is absolutely flying out”, Ambrose said.
“We are seeing a lot of younger people drinking cask. This may be linked to cask beer being cheaper to purchase, but there is more interest in the product.
“We have always had a hight turnover of stronger beers and although sales of non-alcoholic cans are rocketing, cask and keg beers between 5% and 8% ABV are selling brilliantly.”
The strong performance has prompted the business to open its own brewery in March.
However, Ambrose said profit margins continue to be squeezed by business rates, duty costs, labour and VAT.
Value matters
At Oxfordshire-based Three Cheers Pub Co., January finished 4% ahead of last year, with discounts and promotions helping boost trade.
Co-owner Tom Peak told The MA: “Offers like this aren’t just about discounting, they’re about inviting people back into their local.
“In a climate where people are more selective with their spending, giving them a compelling reason to reconnect with their local pub is key. Guests still want to go out; they just want to feel it’s worth it. Value matters, but so does atmosphere, familiarity and quality.”
Sunday trade has proved resilient for the company’s Trafalgar pub in London, with roast dinners consistently strong and sharing dishes becoming more of a focal point. Weekly community events have also attracted growing interest.
“This reinforces what we’ve always believed: pubs are more than hospitality businesses, they’re community spaces. They provide somewhere to connect, celebrate, unwind and feel part of something local”, Peak added.
However, staffing, utilities and supplier increases continue to challenge margins, he said.
January discounts also proved popular at Butcombe Group, with uptake on its overnight stay sale so strong the offer was extended into February.
In addition, enquiries for weddings and other events have increased, marketing director Bruce Rowland told The MA.
Key trading days, including Valentine’s Day and the Guinness Six Nations rugby tournament, have also driven table bookings in recent weeks. However, the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect consumer confidence, Rowland added.
“Cask beer is absolutely flying out."
Owner of the Barking Cat Ale House, Mark Ambrose
“Guests are coming and spending well but the challenge is to get them to come more often. We are using our loyalty club and data to drive more appeal and reasons to visit”, he said.
“We are seeing more interest in smaller plates and small plates that are nutritionally high. Customers are continuing to look for more experience led visits as well, so more than just great food and drink, whether it’s a pub quiz, a running club or a murder mystery event.”
For Heath Ball, who runs four pubs under the Frisco Group, trading has been mixed.
At the Red Lion & Sun in Highgate, north London, which is number three on the Top 50 Gastropubs list, sales were up in January, though driven by price increases, Ball told The MA.
Meanwhile, wet-led pub the Wenlock Arms in Hackney has performed well, which Ball attributed to a low wage bill and no kitchen helping to drive profit. Conversely, The Angel in Highgate, which opened in February 2025, has seen food sales soar.
Its West Sussex site, the Lockhart Tavern in Haywards Heath, is feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis most acutely, with midweek trade particularly hard hit, Ball said.
“Customers are being super careful where they spend money and really choosing quality over quantity.
“People are looking for safe bets; comfort food like burgers and pizza are back in the spotlight”, he added.
Positive atmosphere
While wet-led venues have been experiencing a boost, licensee of the Royal Dyche in Burnley, Lancashire, Justine Lorriman, has noticed an increase in the number of pubs blending food with sport to make the most of key trading moments.
She told The MA: “The Six Nations has been very popular and many pubs have supported it with a special food and drink offering. We showed the Super Bowl and had American themed food like chicken wings and hot dogs, which helped create more of a unique atmosphere.”
While Burnley are not doing as well as fans would like in the Premier League, it has not stopped fans and tourists visiting the pub, she added.
Free games of pool last month helped drive footfall at the award-winning wet-led sports pub and created a “positive atmosphere”, Lorriman said.
However, turnover at the Royal Dyche is down 8% year-on-year and price increases from wholesalers and brewers have added pressure. The pub recently upped the price of Guinness to £5 a pint, though the stout and its alcohol-free variant remain popular, alongside fruit beers.
Lorriman also highlighted customers have been more understanding of price hikes: “They understand it a lot more than previous years due to how much we are pushing for support as an industry.
“They understand the unfair taxing of pubs a lot more and don’t believe pubs purposely put their prices up unless they are forced to due to other rising costs.”
