England’s football failure will boost food venues

Food-led pubs and restaurants will be boosted by England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, analysts have predicted.

Although the British Beer & Pub Association yesterday estimated that pubs broadly would miss out on between £80m - £100m with no England matches next summer, food-led businesses will be pleased by the result, according to JPMorgan

James Ainley, analyst at the investment bank, told the Financial Times: "It's always difficult with these events to know how much of an impact it will have on trading but there are the obvious winners.

"Food-led pubs and restaurants would have lost out if England had got through, so they will be pleased with the result and nightclubs will also benefit."

Mitchells & Butlers, JD Wetherspoon and Whitbread have been identified as expected beneficiaries of England's failure, along with casual dining chains Carluccio's, Clapham House, Individual Restaurant Company and The Restaurant Group.

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By Daniel Thomas

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