The Guardian

Glass half full

Three Lions’ success key to helping pubs

Joe Middleton

A nation will hold its breath tomorrow as England play Senegal in the knockout stages of the World Cup in Qatar – no more so than in the country’s pubs.

An industry that has been battered by rocketing energy bills, food inflation, staff shortages, rising wages and rail strikes is pinning its hopes on further England progress in the tournament providing a muchneeded boost.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said that when the Three Lions take on the Lions of Teranga on Sunday 15m pints will be downed in the nation’s pubs, delivering a £22m shot in the arm to an industry that supports almost 940,000 jobs.

Figures so far are encouraging: early sales data from UK-Hospitality reveals an 11% increase in food and drink sales in pubs duringthe first week of the World Cup compared with a normal week in 2019.

During the Wales v England clash on Tuesday, spending in pubs, bars and clubs rose by 20.5% compared with the same day in 2021, data from Barclaycard Payments said. There was a rise of 13.9% in restaurants.

An estimated 9.2m pints were sold across the UK, with the average pub serving 300 pints – up 136 pints on a typical Tuesday – according to data from the Oxford Partnership.

Emma McClarkin, the chief executive of the BBPA, said: “Pubs were hoping for a boost to business during this World Cup and so far the beer has been flowing, and fans have been showing up to cheer on England.

“The tournament has been filling up pubs on days that otherwise might be quieter, and we’re hoping that trend continues in the next couple of weeks.

“It’s been a tough year for our industry and we know people are feeling the pinch but we’re really hoping fans continue to turn out.”

Rob Star, who opened the Star of Bethnal Green in 2007 in east London and now owns eight hostelries in the capital, said sales on England match days have “more than doubled”.

“We have seen an increase in trade, but for us it’s a bit disappointing the tournament is in winter as November and December are already our busiest months as it is a prime time for Christmas parties,” said the 44-year-old.

“But when the World Cup is in the summer months we see a really significant increase in trade.”

Despite a busy November and a World Cup sales boost, Star is concerned about what happens in January.

“The biggest issue heading into the new year is how much money our customers have. They will have spent a lot of money over Christmas and then will have big credit cards bills.”

Despite the flurry, spending in hospitality is set to be down 10% compared to the World Cup in 2018 and down 52% compared to the Euro 2021, figures from VoucherCodes predict.

The publican Daniel Grayson coowns three bars in Sheffield, called Sport Shack. He said takings were up “by around 20%”, but was also critical of the tournament being held in the winter.

“The trade is good but it’s not pulling up any trees at the moment, it’s too early in the tournament. But this week should be good and if England get past Senegal then the next match in the quarter-finals should be phenomenal,” he said.

Grayson, who has been in the industry for 31 years, warned that people were more liable to stay in at the moment owing to the cold weather and take advantage of cheap alcohol from supermarkets.

But he added that the Three Lions progressing in the tournament could be a significant boon to the wider economy.

“The England team needs to get as far as possible and that will be a massive boost for the hospitality industry, but also everything else in the wider economy. Everything has been such doom and gloom the last few years,” he said.

He added that if England “crash out” of the tournament this weekend, the economic benefit for the industry would be short-lived and that the first month of 2023 would be a “problem” for hospitality.

“January is a quiet month anyway but with the cost of living crisis people will have maxed out their credit cards and have no money in the new year. It will be time to batten down the hatches for the public and pubs.”

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2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://guardian.pressreader.com/article/281681143902745

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