UK pubs sold 28.2 million pints during last week’s spring Bank Holiday, according to data from the Oxford Partnership and BevMetrics from Vianet, a double digit growth on the same period in 2025.

Venues across the country recorded total sales growth of 11.5 percent year-on-year, with average volumes per pub hitting 860 pints, equivalent to an average income of almost £4,500, while occupancy hit 65.8 percent and dwell time was up 7 percent.

“The spring bank holiday provided a clear demonstration of how weather, social occasions and consumer behaviour are increasingly shaping on-trade performance,” said the Oxford Partnership CEO Alison Jordan. “What is particularly notable is not simply the increase in volumes, but the strength of consumer engagement across the entire weekend.”

“Consumers are continuing to prioritise longer, more social and experience-led occasions when they do choose to visit the on trade. That is creating significant opportunities for operators and suppliers that are aligned to those evolving drinking occasions and category preferences.”

The most significant uptick in occupancy occurred on the Bank Holiday Monday, up 6 percent on 2025, with city pubs recording occupancy levels of more than 70 percent and country pubs recording an increase of 3 percent.