In an exclusive survey that has helped form The MA Pub Report 2026, analysis of turnover at UK pubs presents a finely balanced picture with 38.6% of operators say turnover is up this year, including 26.5% reporting a modest rise and 12.1% a substantial increase.
Join our WhatsApp channel: The Morning Round-Up
Get the biggest pub trade stories straight to your phone. Listen to our one-minute daily news briefing and receive breaking news, exclusives and sector updates throughout the day. Remember to turn notifications on in the top right corner!
By comparison, 36.4% say turnover has fallen, split between 19.7% reporting a substantial decline and 16.7% saying it is down a little while 25.0% describe turnover as ‘flat’.
Profits weaker
Profitability, however, is markedly weaker. A combined 56.8% report lower profits, with 31.1% saying profitability is down substantially and 25.8% reporting a smaller decline. Only 24.2% say profitability has improved, while 18.9% say it is flat.
The contrast suggests many pubs are maintaining sales without protecting their margins. The share reporting falling profitability is 20.5 percentage points higher than the share reporting falling turnover, while the proportion seeing profit growth trails turnover growth by 14.4 percentage points.
This data forms just part of The MA Pub Report 2026, which is being worked on as you read this and will be published during the week commencing Monday 28 September.
What to expect
This report analyses the UK pub market as it currently sits and covers aspects such as what is happening within L&T, managed, indies and big pubco sites using research from experts and property agents to look at the state of affairs currently, what to expect in the future and a look back at what has driving the sector during the past year.
There’s a list of the Top 50 Pubcos in terms of estate size. You can always expect the ‘big six’ to be topping the leaderboard but there are lots brimming below that level and we also take a look at some of the most innovative in the business and what they have been up to in the past 12 months.
The MA Pub Report 2026 is absolutely free to read so keep an eye out because there could be some useful ideas there too to help you and your business as times remain challenging but opportunities can be taken advantage of during such periods.
