Marston’s lifted by soaring demand for real ale

The real ale, which is made by the company’s Oxfordshire-based brewery Wychwood, grew sales by 4 per cent in the year to October 4 and received a further seasonal boost with a strong performance over the Halloween period.

As well as an estate of around 1,700 pubs comprising managed, franchised and leased outlets, Marston’s brews Pedigree, Banks’s, Jennings, Wychwood, Ringwood and Brakspear.

The Wolverhampton-based company is undergoing a two-year overhaul of its pub estate as it looks to offload weaker, drink-led sites and focus investment on new-build outlets.

Underlying profits fell 3.6 per cent to £83m, while the impact of pub disposals and other one-off charges contributed to a bottom-line loss of £59.2m.

The company’s brewing division grew revenues by 4.1 per cent to £132.5m and profits by 3 per cent to £17.4m as Marston’s said its focus on premium and regional beers reflected strong consumer interest in this area.

Over the last five years, the company said volumes have grown by 30 per cent in premium bottled ale and by 9 per cent in premium cask ale.

Marston’s said: “Many beer drinkers have become bored by conventional ‘big beer brands’ and the market has fragmented with more interest in provenance, choice and taste.

“Growing demand for premium beers reflects this trend and the increasing importance of it when eating out in pubs.”

About one in five premium bottled ales and one in six premium cask ales in the UK are Marston’s brands. Hobgoblin is its biggest brand and is marketed by the company as the ‘Unofficial Beer of Halloween’.

Since 2009 the group has opened more than 100 pub-restaurants offering family dining. They generate turnover typically averaging £27,000 per week.