Jump to full article: The Scotsman, 2008-07-03
Author: MICHAEL BLACKLEY Business Editor
Intro: STRONG food sales within its pubs since the smoking ban has helped profits at Lothians-based Belhaven surge by 16 per cent.
The Dunbar-based firm, which owns Edinburgh pubs including the Albanach and the World's End on the Royal Mile, Pivo on Calton Road and Drouthy Neebor's on West Preston Street, saw revenues rise six per cent to £126.1 million in the year to May 4. . . .
It attributed the success to repositioning specialist pubs to appeal to a wider customer base through an increased focus on food and value for money.
Greene King, the pub company that owns Belhaven, said the performance of its Scottish operations was particularly encouraging. . . .
"Scotland's smoking ban came over a year before England's. In the second year of the ban, the Belhaven team have developed the business significantly towards food and families, and delivered operating profit growth of 18 per cent."
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