Marston’s has this morning announced that like-for-like sales across its Premium & Destination division were 2.3% ahead of last year for the 12 months to 1 October, including food like-for-like sales growth of 1.7% and wet like-for-like sales growth of 2.3%, underpinned by strong growth in room income.
The company, which will announce its preliminary results on 24 November, said it had made good progress this year with underlying profit before tax in line with management expectations.
In the last 10 weeks of the period like-for-like sales grew 1.8%.
The company said that operating margin was in line with last year and that it completed 22 new pubs and bars and six lodges in the financial year just ended.
In the 2017 financial year, the group plans to open at least 22 pubs and bars and at least five lodges with the openings programme weighted towards the second half year.
It said: “We continue to have a good pipeline of sites to maintain similar levels of expansion for the foreseeable future.”
Across its Taverns division, like-for-like sales were 2.7% ahead of last year, with growth of 2% in the last 10 weeks including a strong performance in our franchise estate.
In Leased, like-for-like profits are estimated to be up 2% compared to last year.
In Brewing, the company said that its beer brands performed “very strongly”, with own-brand volumes up 13% for the financial year and profits in line with management expectations.
Ralph Findlay, chief executive, said: “Marston’s has delivered another year of solid progress with underlying growth across all of our pub divisions and continued outstanding performance from our market-leading beer business. Trading has continued at similar levels since the year end which is encouraging. In addition, our new pub-restaurants, lodges and Revere premium pubs all continue to perform well.
Looking forward, our estate is well balanced and we have a well-developed, strong pipeline of sites to continue our current level of expansion.”
