Shepherd Neame cheers strong Christmas but warns punters are buying fewer pints
Shepherd Neame has hailed a bumper Christmas despite Britain’s oldest brewer selling fewer pints.The group, which runs 285 pubs in Kent and the South East of England, said like for like sales grew 4.5 per cent over the 26 weeks to 27 December.It echoes a cheery update from rival Young’s yesterday, as booming pub sales managed to cut through gloom felt elsewhere on the High Street.The brewer’s pub sales jumped 8.1 per cent over the festive period, driven by 12.6 per cent growth in greater London.Despite a strong Christmas, total beer volumes fell 6.6 per cent, while sales of Shepherd Neame’s own beers - which include Spitfire Amber ale and Whitstable Bay lager - fell 11.6 per cent.The figures echo concerns voiced by Europe’s brewers, which have seen volumes falling for years. Britain's oldest brewer Shepherd Neame is the latest to report falling beer volumesThe most recent report from trade body The Brewers of Europe showed that production, consumption and exports had all fallen for a fifth consecutive year. Beer output in the EU was 345m hl in 2024, compared to 346.18million hl a year earlier and 367m hl pre-pandemic.The fall has been blamed on the rising cost of living as businesses have also faced steeper costs, including higher energy bills.Changing consumer tastes have also weighed on the sector due to an uptick in younger people opting for teetotal or ‘sober curious’ lifestyles. Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame, said: ‘Demand has remained resilient throughout this period in our pub business, and we have enjoyed a particularly strong Christmas trading period.‘Whilst our sector continues to face cost headwinds, we expect these to ease as we progress through 2026. The company continues to trade in line with the board’s expectations.’Neame has previously sounded the alarm over rising costs in the sector.He told The Times: ‘I think there is a real risk that Rachel Reeves is doing to our sector what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners.’He called the government’s handling of the business rates ‘socially, morally and economically wrong.’Many pubs have even banned Labour MPs in a backlash against their property tax bills going up in botched reforms.DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you
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Shepherd Neame cheers strong Christmas but warns punters are buying fewer pints
