New openings fuel Regent sales growth

Regent Inns has reported year-on-year sales growth of nearly 40% in the 15 weeks since the beginning of July.

The increase reflects the company's acquisition of Jongleurs Comedy Clubs and the opening of several Walkabout pubs.

Like-for-like sales were up by just 0.4%, but Regents said this represented only 55 of its 100 outlets and just 44% of its turnover.

Chairman Peter Savage said: "I believe this represents a highly satisfactory performance in difficult conditions."

Since the end of June, the company has opened one new Walkabout in Oldham and exchanged contracts on six more Walkabout sites.

Contracts have also been exchanged on two Jongleurs sites, in Portsmouth and Manchester.

Regent also announced that its operations director, Peter Mackie, would be leaving the company within the next six months.

Mackie, who has been with the company since 1984 when it had just eight pubs, has decided to "pursue new challenges outside the company".