Mother’s Day boosts takings at Greene King
RECENT calendar highlights boosted Greene King as strong sales on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day drove business up 4.5 per cent in the quarter.
The pub operator said it sold 220,000 meals on Mothering Sunday, a 16 per cent increase on 2011 with wine sales up 18 per cent.
Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand said that following a record Christmas the company is well-placed to benefit from the Diamond Jubilee, the Euro 2012 and the Olympics later this year.
Like-for-like sales at the Suffolk-based firm grew 4.6 per cent in the 50 weeks to mid-April, with sales in London up 6.7 per cent.
Food sales have seen a 6.3 per cent rise, boosted by the launch of Greene King’s new spring menus in the run up to Easter.
The group said its core ale brand portfolio ended the 50 week period up 0.8 per cent, compared to a 4.5 per cent slump in the British ale market.