Fuller, Smith & Turner, the brewer and pub operator, today said it put in a solid performance in the last three months, despite the pressures of inflation and the squeeze on customer spend raising sales in its managed pubs.

The London-based firm said it had increased sales by 2.7% in the 16 weeks to 19 July, while its beer volumes also grew, despite the wider fall in beer sales across the on-trade.

Fuller’s has 203 tenanted and 157 managed pubs in London and the south-east. It gave no update on the performance of its tenanted business.

It warned that its future remained dependant on the confidence of the UK consumer and any inflationary impact on its operating costs, including utilities, food and staff.

Chairman Michael Turner said he was satisfied with the group’s performance in “turbulent times for the UK economy”.

Yesterday, rival Enterprise Inns said it had spent £3.5m supporting struggling licensees and predicted double digit falls in beer sales.

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By Christopher Walton

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