Britain's pubs enjoyed an Indian summer of booze sales, thanks to climate change, as unseasonably warm weather in September sent people flocking to their locals. The hot spell was a shot in the arm for the nation's ailing bars, with sales up 3% year-on-year, according to data from The Oxford Partnership and Vianet. Draft beer and cider sales shot up 1.3% year-on-year.
Encouraging start to autumn trading
Industry experts said it was an 'encouraging start to autumn trading' after a poor August. The average spend per person on booze rose 1.5% to £21.12, while cash forked out by customers on pub grub rocketed 5% to £32.54 per head.
Alison Jordan, chief executive officer of real time market intelligence analyst The Oxford Partnership, said: “September’s performance is particularly encouraging because we’re now seeing growth in draught volumes alongside the higher occupancy, longer visits and increased consumer spending that have characterised much of this year.
“What’s especially positive is that growth is no longer confined to particular locations or major sporting occasions. Every location type recorded an improvement, suggesting that underlying demand is strengthening as we move into the final quarter.
“The challenge for operators and suppliers will be to maintain this momentum as temperatures fall and trading becomes more dependent on indoor occasions and the festive calendar.”
Warmest September on record
September was the fourth warmest on record in the UK, according to Met Office figures. For the eighth month in a row the average temperature was more than 1C above the norm. Though there was some rain, temperatures remained above the norm. The highest recorded in the month was 28.6C in Northolt, west London, on September 6. The mean average temperature of 14.6C was 1.6C above the long term average. With more warmer weather forecast for the rest of the year, 2026 is on track to be one of the hottest Britain has ever experienced.
Pub trade analysts said the heat combined with the return of league football and university freshers’ weeks had boosted business. Though the number of venues dropped to 99,297, average bar occupancy hit 66.1% - up 4.2% year-on-year.
Occupancy and dwell time up
While dwell time - the period customers spend in pubs - increased by 12 minutes to over two-and-a-half hours. Rural pubs reported a 2.7% rise in trade, business in the suburbs was up 3.2% and cities 2.3%. Stout sales were up 5.9%, cider 5.8%, world lager 4.8% and craft ale 0.7% - reversing a 'prolonged period of decline'.
The news comes days after it was revealed a pub is set to have closed its doors every day this year. Hospitality leaders said Prime Minister Andy Burnham's hospitality tax cuts have not gone far enough. Around 360 bars are expected to have called last orders in 2026. Already 295 have shut for good, according to research from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
Closures and tax concerns
Burnham has placed support for pubs at the heart of his pledge to revive British high streets, but the industry body believes the Prime Minister still needs to tackle 'the root of the problem'. Losing a pub a day will have cost 5,000 jobs, the BBPA said, with more than half the workers aged under 25.
The Government could lose nearly £72m in tax receipts due to the closures because the typical boozer contributes £200,000 to the Treasury, the trade body said. Last year 336 pubs closed in the UK. Nearly 2,200 have shut over the last five years.
The BBPA said Britain's pubs are still recovering from last year's Budget when then-Chancellor Rachel Reeves' tax raid piled an extra £322m in costs onto the industry. In one of his first acts as PM, Burnham announced a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues, which the BBPA said was 'wholeheartedly welcome'.
In a joint statement, the BBPA, UK Hospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster said: "The new Prime Minister’s action to back hospitality has clearly driven a boost in the sector’s optimism yet significant challenges remain. The support for pubs and live music venues on business rates was a great first step and now we need to see wider support and conditions to allow the entire hospitality sector to grow and create jobs.
"Our tax burden – amongst the highest in the economy – along with new regulatory costs is overwhelming us and the real victims are high streets, jobs and communities. A lower rate of VAT, wider permanent business rates reform and changes to employer NICs [national insurance contributions] would help deliver the prime minister’s bold ambitions for every postcode."
A Government spokesman said: "The chancellor prioritised support for the hospitality industry in his first week in the job when he cut business rates by 20% for pubs, social clubs and live music venues – saving thousands of locals over £1,000 a year. This is on top of providing a tax break on poured pints and capping corporation tax."
