The pub industry is set to benefit from a trio of well timed events: the heatwave, the World Cup and Wimbledon. With all three being synonymous with an alcoholic tipple, be it in the pub or in the beer garden, does this mean the sector is set to have a bumper summer?
They say that good things come to those who wait and following a winter of discontent for the leisure industry things are starting to look more sunny. The recent hot weather, and long may it continue, seems to have prompted fond memories of the summer of ’76 from some of my older colleagues. From taking the briefest glance at Manchester’s pubs and bars from 5pm onwards, it seems clear that the hot weather is attracting people to the pubs and hopefully simultaneously creating a boom in sales.
The recent CO2 crisis would indicate that the appetite for beer remains unabated, further proven by the over 32 million pints consumed on the day of the England v Panama World Cup match – amounting to over a half for everyone in England. Indications point to even more consumed for the Columbia game and with the Sweden game on a Saturday previous records are bound to be broken.
If we were to bring home the World Cup, would drinks sales still show a considerable increase until the final? It would seem that the combination of the sunny weather with a sports fixture almost every night, points to a winning outcome, regardless of the score.
As a valuer of licensed property, the weather raises questions around the benefits of having a beer garden or outdoor space to an operator and the additional revenue and value this adds. There are positives and negatives to both and of course being weather dependent will play a large part in the success of the space. Will valuers remember the plight of a snowy spring and a bumper summer, or do these broadly cancel each other out? And what has been the impact on food-led operations? Is it all drink-led or is there an increase in al fresco dining and summer menus that will balance out the popularity of a winter Sunday lunch?
In any case it seems that this summer will likely provide a test for valuers when it comes to assessing the importance of a beer garden and the impact of changeable weather in due course – will it be a boost for pubs and heartbreak for England?
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