The boss of JD Wetherspoons has said he is confident about a “reasonable outcome” for the year despite rising costs as the pub group reported a strong start to the new financial year.
Wetherspoons, or Spoons as many of its regulars call it, reported a 5.9 per cent increase in like-for-like sales for the 14 weeks to November 3, keeping its performance above that of the sector for a 25th consecutive month.
Like-for-like drink sales and food sales both rose by 5.7 per cent, while fruit machine sales, a comparatively small part of the business, were up 13.5 per cent. Income from its hotel rooms dipped 2 per cent. The disposal of a small number of pubs meant that total sales for the period grew