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Pub chain JD Wetherspoon reported a fall in sales in the first 15 weeks of its fiscal year compared with the same period of 2010 as food and drink volumes continue to be affected by the pandemic.
For the first 15 weeks of the financial year, like-for-like sales fell 8.9% lower compared with the same period in 2019.
Still, this was an improvement following a 17.8% drop in sales in the last 10 weeks of the previous financial year.
Draught products, more often consumed by older customers, had been under pressure, with traditional ales down by 30% and stout down by 20%, for example.
Food volumes appear to have been affected by some customers working from home, with breakfasts, for example, down by 22% and coffee down by 30%.
Looking ahead, the company said an 'improvement in trade will therefore depend, to some extent, on the outlook for the Covid-19 virus.'