Six million extra pints could be drunk thanks to England's World Cup quarter-final this weekend. The Three Lions take on France at 7pm UK time on Saturday.
And the British Beer and Pub Association is hoping fans will head out to their locals early - delivering a possible £26 million boost to the sector at a challenging time for the industry. Overall pint sales are estimated at 28 million for Saturday.
Emma McClarkin, British Beer and Pub Association chief executive, said: “This match’s Saturday-night slot will hopefully deliver good trade for pubs, with people able to head to their local early to secure a spot and cheer on the Three Lions. The World Cup has been providing a boost to beer sales and if England manage to see off France this will hopefully continue.
“Pubs need this as they continue to weather what was already set to be a difficult winter, with rising energy costs and the cost-of-living crisis and their outlook further dampened by news of rail strikes over the usually busy festive period. Whilst the tournament won’t be able to make up for an extremely difficult trading environment, we’re hoping it will at least provide some short-term uplift to the industry and continue to lift the spirits of the nation."
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said data does show evidence of a “World Cup boost”. She said: “The World Cup always provides our pubs with a boost as football fans flock to the local to cheer on their country and pubs across the UK have been welcoming in fans from the winter weather to provide warm sanctuary to watch the group stages.
“We’re hearing from businesses, and early data is backing this up, that the World Cup boost still exists and pubs have seen roughly an 11% increase in food and drink sales so far. We’re hopeful that this boost continues throughout the knockout stages and that the public continue to turn out to support their local pubs, many of which continue to face significant challenges due to the cost of doing business crisis.”
