Eateries and pubs defy slowdown

Pubs and restaurants have defied the spending slowdown, the latest leisure sales update from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker shows.

The report, which tracks monthly performance from 24 pub and restaurant groups, found October like-for-like sales up 0.9 per cent, compared with a 2.8 per cent rise in September and a 0.6 per cent increase in August. "People may be reluctant to go out and buy more 'stuff', but they are still willing to go out to eat and drink," said Peter Martin, of Peach Factory, which produces the report with KPMG, UBS and Coffer Group. Trevor Watson, of Davis Coffer Lyons, said: "Operators have been able to sustain and grow top line sales."