England's progress to the World Cup final could provide a £275 million boost to UK pubs, according to industry estimates. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) predicts that if Thomas Tuchel's side reaches the final, pubs across the country will serve an extra 55 million pints, with the average venue selling an additional 1,240 pints or 14 kegs throughout the tournament.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: 'If Thomas Tuchel and the team make it all the way to the final, it will be a huge good mood boost for both pubs and fans this summer. Nothing brings people together quite like a big match, and a final would have communities gathering down their local to cheer on the lads and pubs seeing a real lift in sales.'
Landlords are already preparing for increased trade. Dawn Slater, who runs the Garricks Head in Urmston, Manchester, said: 'It's going to be massive. It's been such a rough year for hospitality and we really look forward to big events like this to bring in the customers.' She expects to sell an extra 50,000 pints if England reach the final. James Fitzgerald, landlord of the Thatched House in Hammersmith, London, has installed new TVs and extended opening hours until 1am for England matches.
However, the BBPA noted that England and Scotland fans will pay some of the highest beer taxes of any World Cup nation, at 54p per pint, compared to 12.6p in Croatia and 13.8p in Panama. Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: 'The pub is the best place to watch the World Cup... England and Scotland games typically deliver a sales boost of up to 42% on matchdays. Pub bookings for the first England game are up 184% year-on-year.'
Group stage matches for England kick off at 9pm and 10pm, while some Scotland games start as late as 2am. Despite this, pubs are putting on special events and many have sold out of prime viewing spots. The tournament begins on Thursday, with England's first match against Croatia.
