Independent pubs may be having a nightmare but the big boys are keeping their heads comfortably above water.
It’s not easy, by any means, and the likes of Mitchells & Butlers are facing the same cost issues as their smaller confrères, but the advantage they have is scale, providing resilience in the face of unprecedented headwinds.
That scale enables the Harvester and All Bar One operator to buy things like energy, food and drink more cheaply. The devastating pub closure rate is also to their benefit as it rids M&B of a big slice of the competition as well as easing some of the pressure on pricing.
M&B has long been regarded as having one of the best pub estates in the business,
