Shepherd Neame boss hails pub trade

THE boss of Shepherd Neame has hailed a “busy London” as beer sales within its pubs in the capital and across the South-East rose.

- Michael Hunter

Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of Britain’s oldest brewer, said that the business across its 300-strong inns, hotels and taverns were rediscovering the “remarkably predictable patterns” in the hospitality sector.

“After-work traffic” was coming back in London and there were high hopes for the West End for the rest of the year. “We can get the tourists back and a half-decent summer and if the net disposable income trends continue to grow, we’re all pretty confident.”