Pubs cheer Rugby World Cup

TWO of Britain’s best known pub groups will report that the Rugby World Cup and demand for food has boosted annual profit.

Phil Urban, the new chief executive at All Bar One owner Mitchells & Butlers will present his debut results having taken the helm in September. Analysts forecast the Birmingham-based pub group will lift fullyear pre-tax profit by 10.8pc to £190.7m.

It has already posted a 1pc rise in sales over the past 50 weeks from the same number of pubs that were open last year.

Urban joined the company as chief operating officer in January from Grosvenor Casinos, and has previously run Whitbread’s pub restaurants division.

He replaced Alistair Darby who issued a profit warning and resigned. The business, which owns more than 1,800 pubs, has been affected by the wet summer. The City is awaiting news on how the group will handle the introduction of the living wage after Chancellor George Osborne said in July he would raise the hourly minimum wage from April next year to £7.20 for over 25s, from its current level of £6.50, and to at least £9 an hour by 2020.

Separately Pitcher & Piano owner Marston’s, which operates 1,600 pubs, is likely to see annual pre-tax profits rise 10pc to £91.5m, helped by new locations. It opened 25 pub restaurants last year building bigger venues to cater for families.

It plans to build another 20 pubs next year.