Pubs outpace restaurants and bars with pub sales up 1.9%, whilst restaurant sales slipped 0.7%.

Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub, and bar groups saw barely any growth in September, with like-for-like sales rising just 0.2%, according to the latest business tracker data.

It’s the second consecutive month of marginal gains - after a 0.5% rise in August - and only the fourth time sales have increased since the start of 2025.

Total sales, which include new openings over the past year, were up 3.4%, slightly below the current rate of inflation.

The data shows pubs continuing to outperform the wider hospitality industry. Pub sales were up 1.9% compared to September 2024, whilst restaurant sales slipped 0.7%.

The report suggests that more consumers are choosing drinks over meals, helped by mild, dry weather and the start of the university term, which brought students back into pubs and bars.

In other data segments, bars’ sales were down by 6.8% year on year, whilst the on-the-go food and drink segment fell 3.7%.

London outperformed the rest of the country for only the third time this year, with sales inside the M25 up 0.7% compared to 0.1% growth elsewhere.