Visitor Insights took a sample of the largest pub chains across the UK during the Euros period & saw an increase in over 100% compared to the previous year, with the England-Ukraine game seeing the highest average number of visitor & longest dwell time – perhaps the height of English fever pitch?
Interestingly though, it wasn’t the match days that peaked the most, it was the weekends with Saturdays seeing the largest spikes.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) estimated that nearly 13m pints would have been sold on the Euros England v Italy final, with 7.1m during the match itself. The total normally would have been nearer the 17m but for Covid restrictions which meant venues were at 50-60% of normal capacity.
With the lifting of social distancing measures increasing capacity in pubs across England, Wales are expected to follow suit & press ahead with their planned removal of Covid restrictions tomorrow. The Welsh Beer & Pub Association revealed that over 150 pubs in Wales could reopen on the 7th August if the Welsh Government gives the go-ahead & lifts restrictions that have resulted in the closure of many Welsh pubs.
Based on increasing visitor numbers, weekend trends picking up, & The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) lobbying for more government support & investment, the recovery of UK Pubs from the pandemic still have a long way to go but certainly looks to be moving in the right direction.