The UK hospitality sector experienced a strong weekend, with data from The Oxford Partnership’s Market Watch revealing notable increases in sales, footfall and draught beer and cider consumption across pubs and bars.
Sales grew by +10.6% compared to the same weekend in 2024 and were +27.7% higher than the average weekend this year. This surge was no doubt fuelled by the Six Nations tournament, strong Saturday and Sunday sales, and favourable weather that encouraged higher footfall.
Over the weekend, 34.1 million pints were sold, with the average pub serving 902 pints over three days and generating £4,581 in revenue. Pubs sold an additional +87 pints on average compared to 2024, with Scottish fans leading the charge at +90 pints, English fans following at +43 pints, while Welsh fans saw a slight decline at -4 pints.
World Lager emerged as the standout performer, growing +24.6% year-on-year and now accounting for 18.0% of all draught sales. Other drink categories also performed well, with Stout up +15.5%, Apple Cider growing +16.2%, Fruit Cider increasing +19.5%, and Premium Lager rising +13.8%. The only category to decline was Core Lager, which saw a slight drop of -0.6%.
The strong sales were supported by a notable rise in footfall, which increased by +10.1% overall, with the biggest gains seen in venues screening Six Nations matches. Sunday proved to be the most successful day, with footfall peaking at +34.2% during the England vs. Italy match. Across the weekend, footfall rose +8.2% on Friday, +8.0% on Saturday, and +17.4% on Sunday.
Regional variations also played a key role, with Suburban and Rural pubs seeing the highest increases as consumers took advantage of both the sporting atmosphere and the sunny weather. Meanwhile, City Centre dwell times rose by +10.1%, while Suburban venues saw an increase of +14.1%. Pubs that screened live sports benefitted further, with average visit times extending to 164 minutes, compared to 144 minutes in those that did not, with Rural pubs recording the highest growth at +15.1%.
“These figures highlight the powerful impact of major sporting events and good weather on UK hospitality,” said Alison Jordan, CEO of The Oxford Partnership. “With the Six Nations driving footfall and increased consumer spending, the sector is enjoying strong momentum despite wider economic pressures. Our data shows that sports-led occasions continue to provide valuable opportunities for pubs and bars to maximise sales and engagement.”