Cheers! Marston’s pub chain boss says drinkers are ‘back to 2019 levels’ in suburban bars – but London and city centre boozers remain ‘weak’ due to staff continuing to WFH
- Wolverhampton-based chain Marston’s runs around 1,500 pubs across Britain
- Boss Ralph Findlay praises the ‘very sensible’ change in self-isolation rules today
- Total sales from May 17 to July 24 were at 92% of levels in same period in 2019
- City centres are ‘still very weak’ because many people aren’t going back to office
The boss of Marston’s pub chain revealed today that trading is back to 2019 levels with suburban bars performing best – but city centre venues still lagging behind.
The firm, which runs around 1,500 pubs across Britain, added that sales in London were still ‘very weak’ because so many people are still working from home.
And chief executive Ralph Findlay praised the ‘very sensible’ change in self-isolation rules from today which means people who have both Covid-19 jabs will no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive.
Around 70 per cent of Marston’s sites reopened in April under outdoor trading restrictions before its entire estate was able to welcome customers again in May.
Mr Findlay added that there was ‘a good cause for optimism in the future’ for the firm which has also been boosted by warmer weather and the Euro 2020 tournament.
Marston’s chief executive Ralph Findlay backs the ‘very sensible’ change in self-isolation rules
Figures are reported as a percentage of sales relative to financial year 2019 (open sites only)
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think trade has been pretty good actually – and I think somewhat better than I thought it would be having opened back in April outside and then in May with restrictions and then all the restrictions lifted in July.
‘And we are roughly back to where we were in 2019 which is pretty encouraging. And I think though it does depend on where you are in the sector.
Requirement to isolate ends today for fully vaccinated contacts
People who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
From today, people in England who have had both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, or are under 18, will not have to spend 10 days in quarantine if they are a contact of a positive case, a change which has been hailed ‘another step back towards normality’.
They will be advised to take a PCR test, but that will not be compulsory and they will not have to self-isolate while they wait for the result.
If someone develops symptoms of the virus, the Government says they should self-isolate and get a PCR test, and stay in isolation until the result comes back.
The new guidance will apply to people who had their final dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before coming into contact with a positive case.
People who test positive will still be legally required to self-isolate.
As double jabbed people identified as close contacts are still at risk of being infected, people are advised to consider other precautions such as wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, and limiting contact with other people, especially with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.
‘City centres are still very weak, as people have not yet gone back to work in them, and London is still very weak, so there is that caveat. But I think overall, if you’re in the suburbs, if you’re where people live, it is pretty reasonable.’
Talking about whether people are now congregating at bars, he said: ‘It is a mix and it depends on what sort of pub you’re in. It is a fact that pubs are about socialisation, they’re about celebration, and they are about going to the bar.
‘And what we’ve seen is a real mix of behaviours, I guess, from our guests in pubs. We haven’t insisted that table service remains, although it is still there.
‘So if I look at the kind of things we’ve kept – we’ve kept the sanitisation stations, we’ve kept the signage up which asks people to leave their contact details when they come – we don’t necessarily insist on it, but it’s there if they want to do it, and we ask people to be respectful of the other people around them.’
He added that they ‘ask people to be respectful of people around them’, and pointed out that Professor Stephen Reicher – a professor of social psychology who advises the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) – also told the programme that there was now a ‘good sense of people being careful’.
Mr Findlay said: ‘I think that’s what we have seen, which is great, and I think gives us a good cause for optimism in the future.’
Asked about the change in self-isolation rules, Mr Findlay said: ‘I think it will make a big difference.
‘This has been quite a big challenge over recent weeks – it’s not the biggest challenge we’ve faced, the biggest one was obviously being closed for months on end – but this has been quite tricky to navigate through.
‘And depending on where you are again in the country, it could have been very, very difficult. So if you’re in some of those tourist hotspots like Cornwall, finding people and managing through this has probably been extremely difficult. So I think it’s welcome in the sector.
‘There is a tight labour market, so I think anything pragmatic like this, and provided people follow the guidance, I think it’s a very sensible move.’
Burnley fans in the pub before their Premier League match at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon
This share graph shows how Marston’s has recovered much of its lost value since early 2020
People sit at outside tables at re-opened bars and restaurants in London’s Soho on April 16
On July 28, Marston’s said it performed ahead of expectations after reopening its venues indoors in May amid a boost from staycations and the football.
Hand sanitising stations are now commonplace around pubs in Britain
Total sales from May 17 to July 24 were at 92 per cent of the levels in the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
The firm, based in Wolverhampton, said reopening trade was ‘encouraging’ as it benefited from ‘additional food covers, outdoor investment, warmer weather and the benefit of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament’.
Marston’s said strong drink sales had buoyed initial sales after the outdoor reopening on April 12.
The firm added that the Wales-focused Brains pub estate it bought earlier this year also ‘performed well’ since the easing of pandemic restrictions.
And accommodation demand has been ‘excellent’ as it has benefited from a jump in staycation holidays as global travel restrictions have kept holidaymakers in the UK.
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