Christmas was the season to tuck into a festive pub meal at Mitchells & Butlers (MAB). The pub group reported like-for-like sales growth of 9.8 per cent over the three weeks covering Christmas and New Year. Most surprising was the 6.9 per cent growth in food sales over the seven weeks to 5 January that beat 6.6 per cent growth in drink sales – bucking the drinks-led trend seen elsewhere across the sector.
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But all the holiday frivolity may result in a spending hangover through January. Chief executive Phil Urban said the company now enters its “toughest quarter”, and expects trading to be quiet at least until punters get paid again. Mr Urban reiterated caution around the impact of Brexit.
