Thwaites deal boosts Marston's sales
The acquisition of Thwaites has helped Marston's deliver a jump in sales of its own-brewed beer in the last year, the company said today.
Own-brand beer volumes were up by 15% in the last year, the company said in a trading update, or 5% excluding the newly-added brand.
Marston's snapped up Thwaites' brewing arm in a £25.1 million deal in March, bringing the likes of its Wainwright and Lancaster Bomber ales into its stable.
Meanwhile, like-for-like sales in taverns were up by 2% for the Wolverhampton-based brewer, which has pubs across Shropshire, and like-for-like profits in its portfolio of leased properties are ahead by 4%.
Chief executive Ralph Findlay said: "The Group has made good progress in the last year, with underlying growth in all of the business segments.
"Our new pub-restaurants, premium pubs and lodges have all performed well and we have good visibility over the site pipeline to underpin our future growth.
"In addition, we have substantially completed our disposal programme of smaller wet-led pubs. These actions, together with the success of franchise, have significantly transformed our pub business over the last three years."
He added: "In brewing, the integration of the Thwaites' brewing business has gone well, and we are well placed to continue to exploit the market growth in premium and craft beers and ongoing growth in the off-trade."
The company said its full-year profits were likely to meet market expectations.
