{"id":2118149,"date":"2026-10-13T07:11:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/westmidlands\/?p=2118149"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T06:21:10","slug":"marston%e2%80%99s-profits-treble-in-three-years-as-sports-pubs-score-big","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/westmidlands\/news\/2118149-marston%e2%80%99s-profits-treble-in-three-years-as-sports-pubs-score-big","title":{"rendered":"Marston\u2019s profits treble in three years as sports pubs score big"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pub group Marston\u2019s expects full-year profits to come in above the top end of City forecasts, and is planning to return cash to shareholders.<\/p>\n

In a trading update for the year to 26 September, the group<\/a> said underlying profit before tax would beat expectations, which ranged from \u00a376.1m to \u00a383.2m.<\/p>\n

It marks a third consecutive year of significant profit growth, with profits now more than three times the level of 2023, when they were \u00a325.6m.<\/p>\n

Marston\u2019s said its new pub formats were driving growth, particularly Grandstand, its sports-led format. Grandstand pubs are delivering returns of more than 30% on investment, with this year\u2019s conversions seeing sales rise by around 30% compared with before.<\/p>\n

After converting 60 pubs to new formats this year, the group plans at least 100 more in 2027, mostly to Grandstand.<\/p>\n

Among the latest is The Wych Elm in Burntwood, Staffordshire, which closed this week for a \u00a3270,000 refurbishment and will reopen as a Grandstand pub on 4 November, with large screens, tiered seating and a new matchday menu.<\/p>\n

In July, Marston\u2019s reported a World Cup boost<\/a>, with England matchdays driving like-for-like sales growth of 22%, and Grandstand pubs seeing sales up around 170% on those days. At that point, it had completed 36 Grandstand conversions.<\/p>\n

Like-for-like sales were 1.2% lower across the full year, but improved to broadly flat in the final quarter, helped by the new formats, a stronger summer and what the group called \u201can excellent World Cup\u201d.<\/p>\n

Marston\u2019s has also continued to cut its debt, with leverage falling to around 4.2 times earnings, slightly above the around 4x it had targeted in July, but roughly half its 2023 level. The board intends to announce a shareholder returns programme, expected to take the form of share buybacks, alongside its full-year results on 24 November.<\/p>\n

Chief executive Justin Platt said: \u201cOur progress over the last three years shows the momentum we have as a high margin, highly cash generative local pub company, with profits substantially up and debt levels halved.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith clear strategic priorities and our new format conversion programme expanding to at least 100 pubs next year, we enter the new year well set to drive our next phase of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group, which runs more than 1,300 pubs and employs around 9,000 people, no longer owns breweries, having sold its brewing business to what is now Carlsberg Britvic.<\/p>\n

Carlsberg Britvic last week announced plans to close the Marston\u2019s Brewery in Burton<\/a>, putting 303 jobs at risk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pub group Marston\u2019s expects full-year profits to come in above the top end of City forecasts, and is planning to return cash to shareholders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":284306,"featured_media":2118150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127686,120781],"coauthors":[137138],"class_list":["post-2118149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hospitality","category-markets","tag-featured-story"],"yoast_head":"\nMarston\u2019s profits treble in three years as sports pubs score big | TheBusinessDesk.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pub group Marston\u2019s expects full-year profits to come in above the top end of City forecasts, and is planning to return cash to shareholders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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