{"id":6445,"date":"2026-07-22T11:36:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=6445"},"modified":"2026-07-23T11:38:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T11:38:02","slug":"trade-news-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/07\/22\/trade-news-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Trade news – July 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cask Ale Week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This year\u2019s event runs from 17 to 27 September.  Organised by Cask Marque as before, and supported by CAMRA, this celebration of cask ale will feature various pub-based events such as beer festivals, tap takeovers, meet-the-brewer events, ale trails and quiz nights.  You can find details of what is happening in your area on the events map at https:\/\/caskaleweek.co.uk\/pubs-and-breweries\/<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private equity and pubs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the Stonegate pubco is currently trading well, they have a large long-term debt that they incurred primarily from their purchase of the Enterprise pub group.  They have devised a \u2018transformation strategy\u2019 under which they are exploring the sale of what they call their \u2018platinum estate\u2019; this consists of around 1,000 of their best freehold pubs, amounting to roughly a quarter of their estate.  Stonegate are reported to be planning to \u2018test the market\u2019 with a first batch of 300 pubs.  Already a number of potential bidders have emerged, including Terra Firma Capital Partners, the private equity firm founded by Guy Hands and now run by his son Richard.  I\u2019m not convinced that the private equity model of business, with its expectation of relatively short-term gains on assets, will be good for the pubs involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Whitbread\u2019s closing of its Beefeater and Brewers Fayre outlets in order to expand its Premier Inn hotels and improve their profitability has not gone down well with one of its major shareholders.\u00a0 Corvex Management, an American hedge fund, are demanding that the board simply put the whole company, valued at \u00a33.9 billion, up for sale.\u00a0 Not all of the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre sites are suitable for incorporation into hotels and so some have been sold off.\u00a0 Wetherspoon\u2019s have acquired five of them, although none are in London.\u00a0 Mitchells & Butlers have also acquired six sites, presumably to add to their Miller & Carter or Harvester chains. The Brewers Fayre<\/a> in Dagenham, the Willow Farm<\/a> in Rainham and the Winsor House<\/a> in Beckton have been put on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wetherspoon\u2019s news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further to the report in the last edition that JDW are opening bars in European airports, Greggs are now opening their first European branch in Tenerife South Airport.  Enrollado de salchicha anyone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JDW have announced the names and planned opening dates of their two new pubs in London.\u00a0 The one at the Trocadero in Shaftesbury Avenue will be called the Piccadilly Hall<\/strong><\/a> and will open on 13 October.\u00a0 The other, next to Charing Cross Station will be called the Benjamin Fran<\/strong><\/a>klin<\/a> <\/strong>and will open on 24 November.\u00a0 Both dates may be subject to change.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/a>
The Piccadilly Hall prior to transformation it its old guise as Coyote Ugly Saloon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Somewhat oddly, JDW closed the George<\/strong><\/a> in Croydon for \u2018extensive refurbishment\u2019 for the seven weeks 1 June to 31 July, thereby completely avoiding the FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuller\u2019s news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like-for-like sales in Fuller\u2019s managed pubs increased by 4.9% over the year ending March 2026, with total revenue increasing by 5.7% to \u00a3397.8 million.\u00a0 This was despite a 0.8% increase in operating costs.\u00a0 Returns on drink, food and hotel accommodation all increased.\u00a0 This has generated sufficient funds to buy the freeholds of two London pubs: the Avalon<\/a><\/strong> in Balham and the Duke of Sussex<\/strong><\/a> in Waterloo. \u00a0Both are currently leased to Stonegate who have subleased them to other operators.\u00a0 Fuller\u2019s are looking for further sites to acquire and they also plan to spend \u00a330 million on refurbishing existing pubs, with the flagship project being the addition of 26 hotel rooms to the Barrowboy & Banker<\/strong><\/a> at London Bridge.\u00a0 The share buyback programme will continue with the acquisition of one million \u2018A\u2019 shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young\u2019s news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the company AGM it was reported that results for the first 14 weeks of the current financial year are good, with revenue increasing by 9.4%.\u00a0 Trade over the late May bank holiday weekend was \u2018exceptional\u2019, especially in those pubs with gardens and riverside locations. \u00a0The FIFA World Cup and the Wimbledon tennis championships have alsovcontributed.\u00a0 The recently acquired Cubitt House pubs have been integrated and have also made a contribution.\u00a0 Chief executive Simon Dodd told the AGM, \u201cWhile the backdrop remains challenging, we are well positioned and looking ahead to the rest of the year with confidence<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Mr Dodd also told the trade press that \u2018the big thing we’re seeing is the resurgence of beer.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen 8% sales growth, with volume up 3%\u2019.\u00a0 Young\u2019s are also launching a share buyback programme, looking to acquire \u00a310 million of its \u2018A ordinary\u2019 and \u2018non-voting ordinary\u2019 shares.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
With thanks to Alasdair Boyd for the photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mixed messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few comments that readers might find interesting.  All of these quotes come from the Propel hospitality trade newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 22 May, the chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), Phil Urban, said that the company\u2019s Nicholson\u2019s brand remains the \u2018golden goose that keeps on laying\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 12 June, one of M&B\u2019s divisional directors said, \u201cWith the rise in labour costs, the key is to keep your pubs busy.  It becomes a problem when you have quiet pubs.  Focus on the guest experience, grow your volume and it\u2019s not such a big problem<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 5 June, the chief executive of Stonegate Group, David McDowall, reported that they had received more applications over the last year for operator-led and leased and tenanted pubs, \u2018than at any point in the history of Stonegate or Ei Group<\/em>.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cask Ale Week This year\u2019s event runs from 17 to 27 September.  Organised by Cask Marque as before, and supported by CAMRA, this celebration of cask ale will feature various… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6446,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6445"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6448,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6445\/revisions\/6448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}