Ale aids Wetherspoon sales
A REAL ale revival has helped pubs chain JD Wetherspoon offset tough trading conditions and rising costs.
Sales got off to a slow start in February but picked up in March and in April it sold 2.5million pints of real ales at its beer festival, 7 per cent up on last year.
The company hopes to have a similar success with a wine festival in late May and June. It will be bidding to break the record for the largest wine tasting across its 694-strong chain.
Chief executive John Hutson said it would be selling wines, including Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay from California and Allegrini Valpolicella from Italy, at £7.19 a bottle.
“Giving people the chance to try every product at a house wine price is pretty powerful,” he added.
In a trading update, the company reported underlying sales for the past 13 weeks down by just 0.1 per cent, with 39 week sales down 1.5 per cent, and was cautious about the outlook.
During the quarter there was strong growth in food sales, with higher sales of premium bottled beers, spirits, coffee and tea.
The shares rose 4p to 273p.