Real ale 'recovery' for pub chain

Traditional ales have been in decline for many years

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has said a recovery in real ale sales has helped offset higher costs and weak demand.

It sold two and a half million pints of real ale at a beer festival in April. Food, tea and coffee, and wine sales are also improving, Wetherspoon said.

But despite that, like-for-like sales fell by 0.1% from February to April.

Wetherspoon's profits have been under pressure since the start of the smoking ban, and it has been trying to lure clients with food and soft drinks.

Wetherspoon's profit margin has fallen as a result of the higher food, labour and marketing costs, it said.

So far this financial year it has opened 19 new pubs, with a further 23 set to open by the year-end.