Much of the focus on Christmas trading typically boils down to who has won and who has lost in the retail sector. It can be easy to forget just how important the festive season is to hospitality and leisure operators.
Certainly for C&C Group it appeared to be a significant marker in suggesting that its takeover of the Matthew Clark and Bibendum businesses from the collapsed Conviviality may just pay off.
C&C has its origins as a 19th-century soft drinks retailer in Belfast but is now an international drinks supplier with headquarters in Dublin. Its brands include Bulmers and Magners cider and Tennent’s lager as well as the craft imprints Orchard Pig, Five Lamps and Drygate. The company also has a 47 per cent stake