Costa proves a cup of cheer for Whitbread

Costa’s like-for-like revenues rose eight per cent in the 13 weeks to May 30 as more customers spent time in its shops due to the frozen temperatures outside.

However, there was no such boost for Whitbread’s restaurant chains Beefeater and Brewers Fayre, with the cold weather resulting in flat like-for-like sales despite improved trading in recent weeks.

Across the group, which includes Premier Inn hotels, Whitbread’s underlying sales were 3.1 per cent higher as it maintained the performance that has driven a 60 per cent rise in its share price in the past year.

The FTSE 100 stock rose yesterday.

Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said yesterday: “Whitbread has delivered its almost customary breath of fresh air in the midst of a tepid economic backdrop.” He added that despite tough comparatives in the run-up to the Olympics last year, Premier Inn continued to maintain its leading position with sales growth of 2.7 per cent for the first 13 weeks of the company’s new financial year.

Whitbread recently vowed to step up expansion of its Premier Inn and Costa chains in a move set to create 12,000 jobs over the next five years. Having created 3,000 UK jobs over the last financial year, its new targets will see it grow Premier Inn by 45 per cent to around 75,000 rooms and double coffee chain Costa’s sales to around £2bn.

It recently reported an 11 per cent rise in underlying profits to £356.5m for the year to February 28.