Revenues up at North East pubs’ owners, but outlook still “tough”

TWO of the UK’s biggest pub companies say they have weathered the “disruption” caused by the Olympics and seen strong summer trade.

Greene King, which runs 2,300 pubs and restaurants including Hungry Horse’s in Gateshead, Newcastle, the Metro Centre, Darlington and Middlesbrough and the Loch Fyne in Gosforth, said sales rose 5.1% in the past 18 weeks, as strong demand for its food helped pull in the punters.

Similarly Spirit, which owns the Chef & Brewer, Fayre & Square, Flaming Grill, Taylor Walker, OPC, Good Night Inns and John Barras brands – including the Corner House in Heaton, Black Bull in Benton, the County in Gosforth and the Ravensworth Arms in Gateshead – were up 4.1% in the three months to August 18.

However, despite the upturn Spirit chief executive Mike Tye, who’s company operates 1,300 pubs since demerging from Punch Taverns in 2011, said the outlook for pubs remained tough.