Stonegate sees managed like-for-likes up 9.7% over festive period, Craft Union delivers record £8m sales in Christmas week: Stonegate Group, the UK’s leading pub company, has reported its managed pubs saw an 9.7% uplift in like-for-like sales on 2023, with bars and venues seeing a 4.1% increase like-for-like over the same period. Stonegate’s Craft Union business saw record sales numbers over Christmas week, with sales more than £8m for the first time. The group also saw strong momentum in its pub partners business, which continued to deliver year-on-year profit growth. Across its managed estate, 234 sites reported record breaking sales weeks over the festive period, with 217 sites reporting record breaking sales days. The managed business welcomed more than one million pre-booked guests – the highest number in the group’s history. Chief executive David McDowall said: “Performance across the group was encouraging over the festive period, with particularly strong sales in our managed pub estate. It was also pleasing to see the momentum in our bar and venues estate over the period. Craft Union pubs trade particularly well when guests go out more locally, and we saw this play out during the season. Our pub partners business continued its very solid trading momentum, once again growing profit over the period. None of this is possible without the hard work and commitment of colleagues across the group, and, above all, I would like to thank the whole Stonegate team for its efforts. While we are encouraged by our performance over the festive period, we are very aware that Christmas only comes once a year and that the hospitality sector continues to face headwinds on multiple fronts, and that the economic climate remains challenging. We are, however, well positioned to maintain our positive trajectory moving into 2025. Our fantastic team have achieved a lot, but we have plenty of progress still left to deliver.” Stonegate features in the Propel 500 report, an unparalleled resource that profiles the UK’s leading hospitality operators ranked by turnover – which is available now. This comprehensive report provides more than 90,000 words of analysis, delving into company histories, leadership structures, site numbers and financial performance, making it an essential resource for industry professionals. A list of the operators included can be discovered now by visiting the Propel 500 page on Propel’s website. The guide is delivered in two parts: an introductory PDF, featuring deep dives into the top 25 companies and 6,500 words of insight from Propel’s expert writers, and a fully searchable Excel sheet, offering easy access to all the data. Key highlights include Mark Wingett’s exploration of mergers and acquisitions shaping the Top 500’s future, Tim Street’s view of the UK’s franchise market, and Phil Pemberton’s insights into experiential leisure as a hospitality cornerstone. Katherine Doggrell examines developments in UK hotels, while Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, identifies emerging growth sectors, and Maria Vanifatova, founder of Meaningful Vision, analyses trends in quick service restaurants Propel 500 is available now for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club members can purchase it for £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 28 February at 9am. Order the Propel 500 report today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.