Stonegate Sells Over 12 million Drinks During World Cup Tournament
Stonegate Group has unveiled the final figures from its Roar of the Nation barometer, offering a data-led snapshot of how the UK’s pub-goers experienced this summer’s tournament.
The Group’s tracker, which monitored trading activity across 656 Craft Union pubs and 332 Managed venues throughout the competition, recorded a combined total of 5.4 million pints and 4.8 million spirits served over the course of the tournament, alongside record levels of advance bookings for match-day fixtures.
Among the standout findings, Anthony Gordon’s goal against Argentina in the semi-final was identified as the tournament’s “loudest moment” — the single biggest spike in noise and atmosphere recorded across the monitored estate — underlining the scale of fan engagement when England’s fortunes were on the line.
• Fans got through 12.5 million drinks over the course of the World Cup, across the Group’s 656 Craft Union pubs and 332 Managed venues
• 4 million of those were pints, with Cruzcampo the nation’s favourite on draught (598,000 pints)
• Spirits proved just as popular, with 4.8 million measures served, including a million pours of Smirnoff Red alone
• 352,000 dishes were served at the bar, with fries crowned the nation’s favourite matchday side (14,000 portions)
• Total World Cup bookings finished up 62% on the Euros, with 664,000 bookings taken across the tournament versus 409,000 across the whole of the Euros
• The Quarter Final was the single busiest day for bookings, a like-for-like site record, with 62,600 bookings, helped by an England match falling on a Saturday
• Minories, London finishes as the nation’s number one pub for the tournament, with 10,000 bookings and the highest sales of any site
• The standout moment for noise: Anthony Gordon’s goal against Argentina sent Minories, London to 134.5 decibels, louder than a jet taking off (130 decibels)
The noise has been matched by demand at the bar. Of the 12.5 million drinks served, 5.4 million were pints. Spirits proved just as popular, with 4.8 million measures served, including a million pours of Smirnoff Red. Food kept pace too, with 352,000 dishes served and fries the clear favourite on the side.
Stonegate and Heineken’s Roar of the Nation barometer, which tracked crowd noise across the country’s pubs throughout the tournament, also crowned its loudest moment: Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal against Argentina, which sent noise levels at Minories in London to 134.5 decibels, ahead of a jet taking off (130 decibels). Second on the list was a moment of a different kind entirely: The Moot Hall Arms in Leeds hit 134.3 decibels when Argentina equalised in the 85th minute, proof that in Yorkshire at least, fans can get every bit as loud in frustration as they do in celebration.
Bookings told the same story. The tournament generated 664,000 covers in total, 62% up on the entire Euros, with live sport bookings alone up 47%. The Quarter Final set a new single-day record with 62,600 covers, while the Quarter Final and Semi Final tied for the busiest days for live sport bookings specifically, at 28,000 covers each.
Minories in London finished as the busiest and best-selling pub of the tournament. While Scotland’s pubs also featured strongly, with Ark and Walkabout in Glasgow both making the national top 10 for bookings – driven not just by Scotland’s own fixtures but by Scots turning out for whoever England were playing, or perhaps, in support of England.
David McDowall, CEO of Stonegate Group, said: “This World Cup has been a brilliant reminder of what pubs are for: bringing people together. Fans made the most of this tournament in our pubs, and enjoying 12.5 million drinks together tells that story for us. We are incredibly proud of every team across our estate, and we cannot wait to do it all again at the next big sporting event.”