2023 was full of unforgettable sporting moments, record-high sunny days, every world cup you can think of plus a coronation!
These events saw hundreds of thousands of Brits celebrate at their local bar, with millions of pints sold throughout the year. Here, Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, breaks down the top five events throughout the year by the number of pints sold across its 1,600 pubs across the UK.
5) FA Cup Final, Manchester United vs Manchester City
In the June sun, one of the beautiful game’s most decorated tournaments saw the Manchester rivals take each other on for the first time in any final.
Across the nation, sports fans took to their local to see City beat United two goals to one, buying over 350,000 pints throughout the day.
4) Spring Bank holiday (May 27)
The penultimate bank holiday before Christmas is always a busy one and often our first real sighting of some sun.
With temperatures well into the twenties, it’s no surprise that close to 400,000 pints were pulled that day.
3) The Six Nations
The Six Nations is always a sporting must-see and this year that was no different. Over nine days, more than 3 million pints were poured during the rugby.
So, it’s no surprise that five Six Nations matches saw draught pint sales anywhere between 410,000 and 460,000, with England vs Scotland on the opening day enjoying the most pints sold.
2) The King’s Coronation
A truly once in a generation event, witnessed by millions around the world and hundreds of thousands in their local pub.
The coronation of the country’s new King saw a whopping 562,000 pints poured in celebration, many of which would have been Greene King’s commemorative Coronation Ale no less!
1) St Patrick’s Day
A day synonymous with high spirits and a visit to the local topped the charts, as Saint Patrick’s Day saw more pints pulled than any other moment in the year.
Over the day, 700,000 pints were sold across Greene King pubs and, only three months into the year, that record would stand for all of 2023. Until New Year?
Nick Mackenzie, CEO, Greene King commented: “Pubs have always been at the heart of communities and that is never clearer than when the nation is coming together to celebrate. Whether it’s a day off work or a sporting event, pubs are often the destination of choice. With the Olympics and Euro’s next year, we’re looking forward to welcoming even more people through our doors.”
ENDS
For further details contact: pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk or greeneking@headlandconsultancy.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Data
This data is based on draught pint sales in Greene King managed on each day of the year.
About Greene King
Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.
- Greene King pubsare located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country
- Destination Brands is a mixture of food and drink-led brands including Hungry Horse, Farmhouse Inns, Chef & Brewer, Wacky Warehouse, and Pub & Carvery, Pub & Dining and Pub & Grill
- Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs
- Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker
For further details contact: pressoffice@greeneking.co.uk or greeneking@headlandconsultancy.com
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