Britain’s managed pub groups saw like-for-like sales rise by 9.1% in April, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. The boost follows a spell of warm weather, which helped drive footfall to pub gardens and terraces across the country.
While pubs benefitted, the picture was less positive elsewhere in the trade. Restaurant sales slipped by 0.9% year-on-year, and bars continued their downward trend, with trading down 4.5% compared to April 2024.
Overall, hospitality group sales were up 4.2% on the same month last year, outpacing current UK inflation levels. The result marks a strong start to Q2 for the sector, after year-on-year drops in January (-1.3%) and March (-0.6%), and marginal growth in February (+0.1%). The comparison was helped slightly by the timing of the Easter weekend, which fell in April this year versus March in 2024.
When including total sales, factoring in new openings over the past 12 months, hospitality groups were 6.8% ahead of April 2024.
The Tracker, produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK, also revealed a notable regional split. Trading was stronger outside London, where sales rose 5.5%. Inside the M25, growth was more modest at 0.9%.
Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said, “After a tough few months for hospitality, the warm weather has given managed pubs a very bright start to the second quarter. It is hopefully a sign that some consumers are spending a little more freely, though a disappointing month for restaurants suggests others were simply switching from eating out to drinking out. Ongoing high costs for operators, including through heavy new labour bills from April, continue to pile pressure on margins—but while the sun continues to shine, pubs with outdoor spaces can expect trade to remain strong.”
Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said, “The headline growth in like-for-like sales will be celebrated by operators who have endured a contraction in trading since the start of the year. This uptick may signal a shift in consumer behaviour as improving weather and greater opportunities to socialise begin to drive spending.
“Pubs were the clear winners from the spring sunshine, but other parts of the hospitality sector can also take encouragement from the broader rise in activity. However, consumer confidence remains fragile, so recovery is far from assured. Cost pressures remain acute with food inflation outpacing general inflation in April, but for the first time this year there is cautious optimism that revenue growth may ease these concerns.”