08/09/2006

JD Wetherspoon enjoys caffeine boost

Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has claimed that it is now selling as much coffee as Caffe Nero, because of a change in licensing laws.

The firm said that the new licensing laws allow their pubs to open earlier and sell coffee to customers.

The change has helped the firm to gain a 6% share of the UK's 'chain' coffee market, the firm said, with sales approaching around a quarter of those enjoyed by Starbucks.

Wetherspoon is also enjoying a strong breakfast trade, reporting that they are now serving around 200,000 breakfasts a week across its chain of pubs.

The announcement came as Wetherspoon unveiled pre-tax profits of £58.4 million last year - an increase of 24%. Sales increased increased by 5% rising to £847.5 million.

The pub chain did report a drop in sales in its non-smoking pubs, but said that it remained "confident" about the medium and long-term prospects in that environment.

A smoking ban is already in place in Scotland, and will be introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in mid-2007.

(KMcA)

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