THE MA PUB REPORT 2026
Unearth the trends and insights shaping the pub sector’s future in The MA Pub Report
The pub sector never stands still...
Financial
Nearly a third of night-time economy lost since Covid
Almost three in 10 late-night venues have disappeared since the pandemic, prompting fresh calls from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) for Government action ahead of the autumn Budget.
Hospitality insolvencies fall as summer boost continues
Hospitality insolvencies fell by almost a quarter in August as hot weather and the men’s football World Cup continued to boost trade, new data has revealed.
Smart meters now a condition for fixed energy deals as energy costs rise again
A fortnight ago the risk was the Strait of Hormuz staying shut. This fortnight it reached the pipeline that gets round it, and UK wholesale gas passed 200p a therm.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Ceasefire collapse ends hope for cheaper autumn for pub energy bills
A fortnight ago we said a cheaper renewal needed shipping, storage and weather all improving together.
New data shows sales decline for pubs and bars last month
Pubs and bars experienced an overall decline in revenue in July 2026, versus the previous month, despite warm weather and sporting events that would traditionally support strong trading.
Pubs saw sales growth in July despite number of venues dropping
Prolonged hot weather and the latter stages of this year’s men’s World Cup resulted in one of the strongest months of 2026 for pubs and bars.
Marginal increase in food and drink prices ‘feels like the calm before potential storm’
Foodservice inflation rose by 0.2% month-on-month in July, new figures have found.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Gulf peace talks pull gas off peak costs but pubs just catching up
A fortnight ago the war premium was back and both Gulf shipping routes were under attack.
JDW and Tom Kerridge unite over hospitality VAT cut
JD Wetherspoon (JDW) has teamed up with celebrity chef and gastropub operator Tom Kerridge to push for a reduction in VAT.
2 ‘major’ city LGBTQ+ venues to shut amid rocketing costs
Two LGBTQ+ venues in a seaside city are set to shut after operating for more than two decades each.
Consumer spending surged by 10% in July
Card transactions last month (July) in bars, pubs and clubs increased by 10%, new data has found.
Gulf deal collapses, pub energy prices rise
A fortnight ago, we said the easing in energy prices was real but reversible. It has reversed.
Outlet churn ‘concerning sign’ of sector’s fragility
Licensed hospitality numbers remained broadly stable in the second quarter of 2026, though the flat headline figure masks a rapid turnover of closures and openings.
Managed groups score World Cup sales win
Managed pub groups saw a modest boost from early World Cup matches in June, while other parts of the hospitality sector struggled to achieve growth.
‘JDW profits likely to be below market expectations’
Pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) chairman Tim Martin warned the company’s profits are likely to be lower than market expectations in its latest pre-close trading update.
Fuller’s hails strong summer as sales rise 5.1%
Fuller’s has reported like for like sales growth of 5.1% for the first 16 weeks of its financial year.
JW Lees reports ‘fantastic record year’ despite ‘little or no useful Gov support’
North-west brewer and pub operator JW Lees has reported record financial performance in its latest results amid challenging trading conditions.
Pubs score World Cup boost but consumer spending remains tight
Pubs may have seen a surge in visits during England’s World Cup fixtures in June, but customers remained cautious with their spending, new data has revealed.
Sector confidence dramatically drops amid ongoing pressure
Confidence among hospitality leaders has fallen sharply as rising costs and weaker consumer spending continue to put pressure on businesses.
Young’s reports ‘strong start’ to financial year against ‘challenging’ backdrop
London and south-east based pub company Young’s has reported strong trading momentum in its recent results.
Burnham’s Small Business Rates plan could cost £880m annually
Andy Burnham has argued there is “room for movement on tax” within Labour’s manifesto.
Damm UK on-trade sales surge as Old Speckled Hen deal nears completion
Damm UK has reported strong growth across the on-trade as the brewer prepares to complete its acquisition of the Old Speckled Hen family of brands from Greene King.
England-Ghana match and heatwave boosts draught sales by 77%
The late June heatwave combined with World Cup football has seen sales soar in pubs and bars.
St Austell reports pub sales growth despite tough trading
St Austell Brewery has reported turnover growth for 2025, while continuing to invest across its pubs, beers, people and systems.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Gulf peace deal starts to take pressure off pub energy bills
For months, pub energy prices moved only one way: the road back to pre-conflict levels kept getting longer, not shorter.
Growth continues to be driven by higher prices over volume
Year-on-year growth for hospitality businesses has been below the UK’s rate of inflation for 13 consecutive months as higher prices drive growth over volume.
‘Ability to innovate’ crucial to sector growth
Strong leisure demand and major events are expected to support hospitality growth over the next six months, new research has revealed.
Emeny hails ‘healthy’ trading at Fuller’s
Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny hailed “healthy” trading at the pub group, after the business delivered growth across multiple areas.
Fuller’s blasts ‘unprecedented Government interference’ on sector
Changes in the pub industry over the past decade has been ‘a period of unprecedented Government interference, additional taxes and regulations’, Fuller’s boss Simon Emeny has said.
Clarkson: ‘We’re fully booked every day but still losing money’
Jeremy Clarkson’s pub the Farmer’s Dog made a pre-tax loss of more than £8,000 in its first quarter of trading despite being fully booked, the TV presenter has revealed.
Confidence in hospitality sector outpaces UK average
Confidence in the hospitality and leisure sector has climbed to 88%, ahead of the UK average of 83%, as operators invest for growth despite rising costs and geopolitical uncertainty.
Theakston announces 5% turnover lift as demand for cask rises
Yorkshire-based T&R Theakston brewery has announced a 5% lift in turnover for its financial year ended 31 December 2025.
Butcombe’s managed arm ‘stand-out performer’ in record-breaking results
Multiple pub operator and brewer Butcombe Group’s managed division saw like-for-like growth of 8%, it was reported in the company’s latest results.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Gas prices rise for pubs after US hits Iran and hot weather sets in
Nationwide Energy Consultants explores ongoing changes to energy costs for the hospitality sector as the Middle East war continues.
Market update: Ongoing energy pressures facing pub operators today
With prices unlikely to fall soon, energy remains a key pressure for operators. Get the latest outlook and practical next steps.
M&B posts ‘robust’ first half of financial year, lfl sales up 3.3%
Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has delivered a “robust” performance during the first half of its latest financial year with life-for-like sales up 3.3% on the same period as last year.
Young’s boss ‘delighted’ with ‘exceptional set of results’
London-based pub company Young’s has reported record performance in its latest trading update.
C&C announces ‘renewed focus’ after fall in net revenue and EBITDA
C&C Group has announced a net revenue decline of 5.7% while adjusted EBITDA fell by 7.7% to €104.3m.
Robinsons smashes £100m turnover in record year
Stockport-based brewer and pub operator Robinsons has smashed its own records by surpassing £100m in turnover in its latest financial year.
Operators ‘must not be lulled into false sense of security’ after food prices drop
Food and drink prices fell by 1.4% month on month in March, according to the latest data.
Marston’s new pub formats set to drive business growth
Pub company Marston’s has exceeded its target on new pub format refurbishments.
Inside Butcombe’s latest refurb after £1.3m investment
Multiple operator Butcombe Group has reopend the newly expanded Brown Cow in Fulham, west London after the company’s largest single investment in the capital to date.
Discounting works as a quick fix but can be damaging in the long run, operators warned
While 48% of consumers revealed discounts or multi-offers would encourage them to visit a hospitality venue, operators have been warned not to compromise on quality.
Demand for Guinness contributes to Diageo sales growth
Strong demand for Guinness in the UK and Ireland contributed to 8.8% growth in net sales in Europe for Diageo.
Pub & bar market worth £24.6bn in 2026
The UK pubs and bars market value is set to reach £24.6bn by the end of this year, according to a new report.
Interest rates hold offers ‘little relief’ for sector
The Bank of England’s (BoE) decision to hold interest rates offered “little relief” for pubs as operators continue to face “huge challenges”, industry leaders have said.
Fuel price surge hits pubs with fresh supplier surcharges
Pubs are being hit by a “tidal wave” of cost pressure as soaring fuel prices begin to feed through the supply chain, prompting suppliers to introduce new delivery surcharges.
Tube strikes knock hospitality revenue by 18%
Last week’s industrial action across the Tube network contributed to a sharp drop in hospitality revenue across the capital, data from employee experience platform Harri has shown.
THE MONTHLY ROUND
THE MONTHLY ROUND: Steady trade masks midweek pressure
Pubs have reported steady but increasingly hard-won trade, with midweek performance the biggest pressure point despite pockets of growth.