FTSE 100 Live: Shawbrook confirms IPO; Aston Martin hit by tariffs October 6, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. After a worryingly-long drought, the London IPO market roared back to life this morning following a shot in the arm last week. Shawbrook has kicked off the week putting the City on the front foot after confirming intentions of a float. It’s a major boost, one that [...]
JD Wetherspoon: Profit rockets as Tim Martin takes jab at tax rises October 3, 2025 JD Wetherspoon has reported another successful quarter after outperforming the wider hospitality market again, although boss Tim Martin has warned on the effects of taxing the sector too hard. The pub giant told markets this morning that like-for-like sales rose 5.1 per cent year on year, while revenue rose 4.5 per cent to £2.12bn. Profit [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Wetherspoons boss slams taxes; Tuna giant eyes IPO October 3, 2025 Good morning from the City AM liveblog team. There is no clearer sign of the scale of political turmoil the past nine months than the soaring price of gold. The precious metal started the year near $2669 and has since soared to $3900 – a rise of over 45 per cent. The asset now looks [...]
JD Wetherspoons: Sales overtake pre-pandemic levels July 23, 2025 Sales at JD Wetherspoon have overtaken pre-pandemic levels for the first time after a sluggish five years for the hospitality industry. Revenues at its 794 pubs have grown 5.1 per cent in the year to date, the company told markets this morning, putting growth at the chain above the industry average. “Sales volumes, which were [...]
Pub bosses in joint call for ‘urgent’ tax reform July 14, 2025 Pub bosses have called for urgent reform of the business rates system, arguing that the levy places unfair pressure on hospitality venues at a time of rising costs across the board. Greene King boss Nick Mackenzie said that business rates should be “fundamentally reformed” so that the tax – which applies to all commercial venues [...]
One pub to close every day in 2025, new data reveals July 10, 2025 Small pubs are being forced to close in the face of unsustainable costs pressures, according to new data. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has estimated that 378 pubs will close this year across England, Wales and Scotland, amounting to more than 5,600 job losses. The industry body pointed to the heavy pressure of [...]
Reeves’ tax hikes lead to spike in pubs going bust June 16, 2025 The series of tax hikes introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget last year has contributed to a spike in pubs going bust across the UK in April, according to new figures. A total of 67 pubs closed down during the month – the highest number since July 2024 when 75 entered insolvency [...]
Spending in pubs surges as Brits flock to beer gardens May 28, 2025 Pubs enjoyed a boost in April during the sunny spring weather as Brits opted for outdoor beer gardens over indoor restaurants. Like-for-like sales growth at pubs reached 9.1 per cent year on year, according to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. Sales across all hospitality outlets were 4.2 per cent ahead of April 2024 [...]
Mitchells & Butlers: Profit at All Bar One owner jumps as Brits keep spending May 22, 2025 All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers has reported half-year profit ahead of the market despite significant cost headwinds. The All Bar One and Harvester owner told markets this morning that total revenue reached £1,454m in the 28 weeks ended April 12, up four per cent year on year. Operating profit rose 10 per cent to [...]
Greene King vs Spoons: Who is winning the great British pub battle? May 20, 2025 There are few well-populated areas of the UK where you can’t find either a Greene King or JD Wetherspoon pub. The two titans of the British pubs industry together operate thousands of locations each across the country and are staples of most urban areas. Both are major contributors to the UK economy – providing employment [...]