Marston’s shows its pedigree

Marston’s said own-brewed beer volumes jumped 4 per cent on a year ago in the 23 weeks to March 12, compared with a decline of around 7 per cent for the wider UK ale market.

As sponsor of the England team, the Pedigree brand received a publicity boost from the Ashes in Australia as sales of bottled ale leapt 16 per cent across the portfolio, which also includes the brands Banks’s and Jennings.

Elsewhere in the business, its managed pubs division saw like-for-like sales grow by 2.4 per cent as a result of continued strong food demand.

The Pitcher & Piano and Tavern Table operator said the sales trend improved in the early part of 2011 following growth of 3 per cent in the past seven weeks.

The Wolverhampton-based company added that underlying profit trends at its tenanted and leased pubs division continued to improve, with like-for-like profits up 0.1 per cent against the 4 per cent decline seen in the 2010 financial year.

Marston’s said the turnaround reflected the success of new agreements which give tenant landlords more incentives to grow their business.

Chief executive Ralph Findlay described the company’s trading performance in the first half of its financial year as “encouraging”.

The company has an estate of around 2,150 pubs in England and Wales, including around 500 outlets in the managed pubs estate.

Marston’s has benefited from its F-Plan strategy, which has seen it focus on “food, families, females and forty/fifty somethings”.