A 180-year-old family brewery in Stockport has announced it will return to profits after revenue was hit by the pandemic.
Robinsons Brewery, which operates 254 pubs, inns and hotels in the north-west, generated an operating profit of £4. 5 million for the year to the end of December 2021.
This is despite the closure during the first 4 months of the year due to Covid-19 restrictions in position when pubs and restaurants were closed or subject to strict restrictions.
The company, which has invested more than £3. 5 million in its controlled and leased pub areas, announced plans to invest more in 2022 and beyond.
Co-administrators William and Oliver Robinson said: “Disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic decreased in 2021 compared to 2020, but still had an effect on the industry for a large part of the year, with pubs in England and Wales at the end absolutely in the first quarter, and significant restrictions on position until mid-May, some minor restrictions return in December.
“Among those restrictions, consumers have begun to return to their pre-pandemic behavior with counterfeit exchanges in most of our ads.
“We continue to assist our licensees throughout the year with rental discounts and assistance in their grant applications.
“We are grateful to the government for proceeding with the licensing program, the reduction of the VAT rate and the reduction of corporate tariffs. 3. 7 million.
During the period, sales increased from £45. 6 million to £63. 3 million, generating an operating profit of £4. 5 million at a loss of £6. 8 million in 2020.
Profit before tax of £15. 4 million, compared to a pre-tax loss of £4. 7 million last year.
The company’s functionality was enhanced “by significant land transfers and its ongoing bar renovation program. “
Significant investments have been made in Bulls Head, Marple, Lawton Arms, Church Lawton and King William, Wilmslow, and renovations and extensions have also been made at Wheatsheaf Inn, Kendal, which is part of the Robinsons’ Individual Inns pub collection, along with the recent acquisition. Woodman Inn, West Yorkshire and Swettenham Arms, Congleton, which it acquired in August 2021.
The co-CEOs added: “We continue to interact with the government on the disproportionate tax burden faced by pubs and breweries, industry tariffs, beer tasks and VAT.
“This has been further aggravated by the unprecedented inflation rate due to global uncertainty and the crisis in Ukraine.
“It’s more than ever that we try to provide wonderful service and top-notch reporting while supporting our unwavering licensees who run our wettest pubs. “
Robinsons said it plans to invest more in its tenant pubs and expand its controlled pub area, with large-scale investments planned for the next two years.
Earlier this year, the brewery signed contracts with SSV to install the new brewhouse at its Bredbury packaging plant, the first of its plan to consolidate its headquarters, brewing and packaging on a single site.