Wetherspoons is facing a “momentous challenge” to persuade punters back to its pubs after they got used to drinking cheap supermarket beer during lockdown.
That’s according to boss Tim Martin, who used the company’s full-year results to have another go at UK lockdown policies.
He said: “During lockdown, dyed-in-the-wool pub-goers, many for the first time, filled their fridges with supermarket beer – and it has proved to be a momentous challenge to persuade them to return to the more salubrious environment of the saloon bar.”
The no-frills pub chain posted sales rose of more than £1.7bn in the year to the end of July, up from £773m last year but still behind pre-pandemic levels.
It also cut pre-tax losses from £167m to just £30.4m, but still couldn’t return to a profit. Mr Martin also warned of higher labour, repair and energy costs.
Still, shares jumped almost 8pc following the update.
Wetherspoons opened seven new pubs during the year, and sold, closed or ended the leases on 15 others. In July the business ran 852 pubs across its estate.
