Mitchells & Butlers, the country’s biggest managed house group, has sold off 333 pubs it considers ‘too wet’ for the company’s strategy of focusing on food.

The package, which includes the student brand Scream and many smaller pubs, has been bought by serial pub investment outfit TDR Capital under the name Stonegate.

The move coincided with worries that the wet-led pub is on the way out – but the rejected pubs still have a healthy average weekly take of ￡13,800, and clearly somebody thinks they’re worth buying.

See my further comment.

Back on track – for a while

Leading pub companies continue to creep their way out of recession, according to the monthly Coffer Peach Business Tracker which shows like-for-like sales up 1.9% in July.

“The bigger operators are are showing a lot of resilience,” said Peach Factory’s Peter Martin, while Will Hawkley of accountant KMPG, fearing a double-dip, sounded a note of caution by adding that the “eating oput sector could feel the brunt of any future downturn”.

Multiple orgasm

More positive news came from a plethora of smaller multiple operators who announced expansion plans. Urban & Country Leisure is leading the way with more than ￡15 million to spend on 20 sites by 2013.

One factor in the mini-boom is the better lease terms being offered by pub-owning companies.

Probably the best results…

Carlsberg reported a “low double-digit” increase in UK beer volumes in the first six months of this year. But Adnams, the Suffolk brewer, is having a tough time. Profits before tax plunged 27% in the six months to July with beer volumes dipping by 6.8%, dragged down by poor sales through leased pub estates.

Now the company is hoping that a distillery at the brewery, which will be making gin and vodka under the brand name Copper House in time for Christmas, will help make up for the losses.

Spot the ball

Sky has launched a new, improved online pub sports finder that enables fans to find a local pub showing the game they need – in HD, 3D or old fashioned telly.

Let’s hope not too many pubs have dumped the service following the latest increase in fees.

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