Marston's, Mitchells & Butlers waits crowds to go back in pubs since restrictions ease
May 20, 2021, 4:37 am

Marston's, Mitchells & Butlers waits crowds to go back in pubs since restrictions ease

Reuters

British pub operators Marston's (MARS.L) and Mitchells & Butlers (MAB.L) said on Wednesday they expect to see many people at their outlets, as the easing of pandemic-led curbs encourages people to eat out after staying home for months.

The companies reported bigger half-yearly losses as stringent restrictions through 2020 and earlier this year hit pubs and restaurants. Outdoor dining in Britain began reopening only in April, while indoor dining and drinking resumed this week.

Marston's, the two-century old brewer of Pedigree, Hobgoblin and Lancaster Bomber beers, said about 1,000 pubs have reopened across England, Wales and Scotland since April, and early trends show sales in like-for-like locations running at around 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels.

The company as well expects to reduce borrowings to under 1 billion pounds ($1.42 billion) by 2025. Its total debt stood at 1.6 billion pounds for the 26 weeks ended in April.

Meanwhile, M&B, which owns Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One, said its like-for-like sales were restricted to a decline of 30.1% against pre-COVID-19 levels.

Marston's reported a total loss before tax of 105.5 million pounds for the 26 weeks ended April 3, 2021, compared with 31.1 million pounds a year earlier. M&B reported a half-year pretax loss of 200 million pounds for the 28 weeks ended April 20, 2021, compared with 121 million pounds in 2020.

Marston's was up 1.4% in early trading, while M&B fell about 1.3%.

Source: Reuters

Brussels rebukes UK over detaining EU citizens at borders Princess Beatrice expecting baby

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”