24 Jul 2014 07:00
FULLER SMITH & TURNER PLC - Interim Management StatementFULLER SMITH & TURNER PLC - Interim Management Statement
PR Newswire
London, July 23
24 July 2014 FULLER, SMITH & TURNER P.L.C. Interim Management Statement 16 weeks to 19 July 2014 Strong start from all divisions Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. ("Fuller's" or "the Company"), the London brewerand premium pub company, today made the following Interim Management Statementfor the 16 week period from 30 March to 19 July 2014, in advance of theCompany's Annual General Meeting to be held at 11.00 am, 24 July 2014, in theHock Cellar, Griffin Brewery, Chiswick, London W4 2QB. Trading has been strong across all divisions, with like for like sales inManaged Pubs and Hotels rising by 7.3% for the period and like for like profitsin the Tenanted Division growing by 3%. Total beer and cider volumes in theFuller's Beer Company rose by 7%. Net debt as at 28 June 2014 was £145.2m and net debt to EBITDA remained at 2.5times. During the period, the Company purchased a 51% stake in The Stable, a craftcider and pizza restaurant business, acquired The Bull Hotel in Bridport,Dorset and The Windmill in Portishead, near Bristol and agreed to acquire TheHarp in Covent Garden. In addition, London's Pride, the Company's first airsidepub at Heathrow Terminal 2, opened its doors for trading. Simon Emeny, Chief Executive, commented: "We've had a strong start to the newfinancial year with our core business performing well. We launched a number ofnew initiatives last year, particularly in the Beer Company, and these arebeginning to bear fruit. In addition, we have an excellent pipeline of newopenings - the three riverside pubs in Kew, Fulham and Greenwich will come onstream, a seventh Stable opens in Falmouth at the end of August and we willcontinue to look for new pub acquisitions that fit our style of operation. Theyear has started well and I look forward to building on this early progress." The next report will be on 21 November 2014 when the Company issues its halfyear results for the 26 weeks to 27 September 2014. - Ends - Notes to Editors Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. is an independent traditional family brewerfounded in 1845 and is based at the historic Griffin Brewery in Chiswick,London, where brewing has taken place continuously since 1654. The Company runs181 Managed Pubs and Hotels and 205 Tenanted pubs, with a focus on outstandingcask ale, great wine, exemplary service and delicious fresh, home-cooked food.The Company also has 641 boutique bedrooms in its Managed estate and owns a 51%share of The Stable, a craft cider and pizza restaurant business. Fuller's pubestate stretches from Brighton to Birmingham and from Portishead to theGreenwich Peninsula, including 168 locations within the M25. The Fuller's Beer Company brews a portfolio of premium beers including LondonPride, ESB, Organic Honey Dew and Frontier Craft Lager. In June 2013, theCompany acquired Cornish Orchards, a craft cider maker producing a range ofaward-winning ciders and premium soft drinks. Fuller's is also the UKdistributor for Sierra Nevada, the premier US craft beer.