Eating-out growth boosts pubs and restaurants in November

Pub and restaurant groups have been boosted by a surge in eating-out growth, with November's monthly like-for-like sector sales up 3.4%, compared to the same month last year.

That's according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker, which tracks results across 30 restaurant, bar and pub companies in the UK.

November also marked the 20th consecutive month of positive like-for-like growth within the sector. Total sales for restaurant groups were ahead 10%, and total sales including pubs too were up 6.8% - the highest monthly sales increase since April.

The tracker also found that like-for-like sales in London had been stronger than those elsewhere, up 6.1% in the capital in November, compared with 2.4% outside the M25.

Similarly, casual dining chains saw a 4.8% like-for-like rise in growth for the 2014 month, while managed pub groups saw a 2.8% rise. Food sales within pubs had also seen a boost, up 4% in November compared to just a 1.5% rise for drinks.

These results showed the continued development of casual dining sites outside London, as well as the growing popularity of eating out among Brits, said CGA Peach, which produces the report alongside the Coffer Group, Baker Tilly, and UBS.

Peter Martin, vice-president of CGA Peach, said: "Eating-out is now ingrained in the British way-of-life."

Trevor Watson, director at Davis Coffer Lyons, predicted that consumer spending power would continue to grow, and that the restaurant and pub industry looked set to benefit, especially in the capital.

He said: "The figures continue to show steady growth in the sector. The London market continues to be the principal engine of the sector and we do not see any reason for this to change in the immediate future."

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at Baker Tilly, commented: "This month we again see another set of cracking results for a jubilant sector. The strong recent sales growth figures are particularly impressive against a backdrop of stagnant UK wages."

Newman added that the success of well-known brands such as ASK, Zizzi, TGI Friday's and Chilango were "testament to the sector's attractiveness to small and large investors alike".

The sector has seen consecutive boosts in business throughout the year despite unexpected weather patterns including a disappointing summer and a warmer-than-average autumn.

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