Fullers 'primed for a strong Christmas' as revenues jump

Pub chain Fuller, Smith & Turner reported a jump in half-year profit and revenue on Wednesday, benefiting from the return of office workers, as it said it was "primed for a strong Christmas".

In the 26 weeks to 30 September, adjusted pre-tax profit rose 48% to £14.5m, with revenue up 12% at £188.8m. The company hailed strong performances across the estate.

It also said that like-for-like sales in the 32 weeks to 11 November were up 11.7% and that current bookings were already 11% ahead of the prior year.

The interim dividend was lifted 42% on the same period a year earlier, to 6.63p a share.

Chief executive Simon Emeny said: "We have had a strong start to the year - delivering excellent financial results and building a superb platform for future growth. While there are still a number of macro-economic elements to navigate, certain external factors are moving in our favour with office workers continuing to return to their desks and the City becoming a seven-day operation with increased leisure spend at the weekend.

"There has been a welcome return of major events. Customers are increasingly seeking premium experiences when they are spending their money, and we have the benefit of the lucrative international tourist trade to come with inbound tourism still below pre-Covid levels."