Britain’s leading pub, bar and restaurant groups finished a soft first half of trading with sales exactly level year-on-year in June, the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

It follows a drop of 1.0% in May, and means sales were static or negative in four of the first six months of 2025, with a warm April the only period to deliver real-terms growth. June trading was affected by mixed weather and tough comparatives with the same month last year, when the Euro 2024 men’s football tournament was underway.

For the sixth month in a row, pubs achieved the best growth of the major segments of hospitality. Managed pub groups’ like-for-like sales were 1.2% above June 2024, while restaurants saw trading slip fractionally by 0.5%. Bars continued a long run of negative numbers with a year-on-year dip of 5.7%, and the on-the-go segment slipped by 4.0%.

The Tracker—produced by CGA by NIQ in partnership with RSM UK—shows groups’ June sales within the M25 were down by 1.0% year-on-year, while sales further afield rose marginally by 0.4%. It means trading in London lagged the rest of the country for five of the first six months of 2025.

Groups’ total sales through all channels, including at venues opened by groups in the last 12 months, were 2.8% ahead of the same month in 2024—slightly below the UK’s rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index.

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK said: “June’s underwhelming results continue an unwelcome trend of subdued trading, with almost all segments of the market seeing negative like-for-like sales. This damaging combination of declining sales and higher operating costs is leading an increasing number of well-known brands to either appoint restructuring advisers, close sites or shut the doors completely. With labour costs already at breaking point, recent speculation of increased mandatory employer pension contributions could be the final nail in the coffin unless there is meaningful intervention from the Treasury in October to ease the burden on operators.”

Karl Chessell, director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said: “June’s numbers round out a tough first half for hospitality groups. They have had to deal with the dual challenges of fragile consumer confidence and a hike in labour costs from April, and with inflation ticking up again, the second half of 2025 may be just as challenging. Nevertheless, there are some encouraging pockets of growth—especially in pubs, where people seem to be spending with a little more confidence. Operators will be hoping the rest of the Summer brings some brighter weather to help lift the sector back into growth.”

CGA by NIQ collected sales figures directly from 122 leading managed groups for June’s edition of the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends. To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at andy.dean@nielseniq.com.

Participants in the CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party,  Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, D & D London, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Gusto Restaurants, Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Individual Restaurants, Kibou, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Le Bistrot Pierre, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars, Oakman Inns, Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co,  Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Snug Bar, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda),  St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Turtle Bay, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.

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This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NielsenIQ’s (NIQ) current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

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