Inn group wraps up festive period with trading record

The North East-based leisure operator, which owns The Hog’s Head Inn, at Alnwick; The Lindisfarne Inn, at Beal; The Bamburgh Castle Inn, at Seahouses; and The Commissioners Quay Inn, at Blyth, reported a rise in like-for-like sales of 7.5 per cent in the five weeks leading up to January 6, compared to the same period last year.

Sean Donkin, operations director at the pub group said: “We are delighted to have exceeded our seasonal sales forecasts with the strongest like-for-like sales achieved yet in the group’s 10-year history.

“We enjoyed an extended period of festivities as a result of Christmas falling on a Monday, which enabled us to optimise the number of Christmas party events across our units, which has contributed towards a record rise in accommodation sales.”

He added: “Bar sales grew strongly, driven by demand for premium drinks products, and our Christmas menus and entertainment were well received and helped secure record covers across the period.”

Strong festive trading topped an excellent year of trading for the operator, with the group delivering like-for-like sales growth of 13 per cent for the year as a whole.

Overall, all trading formats performed well across the group’s estate of pubs with rooms, with accommodation leading the way with a 26 per cent increase in sales.

The Inn Collection Group’s estate has a current total of 202 bedrooms across its Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside units, and construction of a further 30-bedroom new-build inn at Amble, is under way and set to open in October 2018.

The eight-site leisure operator, which is backed by London-based Kings Park Capital, is one of the North East’s largest independent accommodation providers.

Outside Northumberland, the group also owns The Seaton Lane Inn, Seaton, Co Durham; The Lingslodge Inn, Durham city; and The King’s Head Inn, Newton-under-Roseberry, Cleveland.

For more on The Inn Collection Group, visit http://inncollectiongroup.com/