FDBusiness.com

UK regional brewer Adnams has increased operating profit by 5.5% to £857,000 on turnover up 5.1% to £25.7 million for the first six months to June 30th 2012. Profit on ordinary activities before taxation advanced 7.7% to £754,000.

“We see this as steady progress at a time when the UK economy is fragile and when weather conditions, notably in the second quarter, have been particularly poor,” says Jonathan Adnams OBE, chairman of Adnams. “Industry statistics show the cask ale market declining by about 2% in the first half of this year. Whilst disappointing, this is a relatively good performance compared to other parts of the beer industry. After seeing many years in which ale has declined compared to lager we may be witnessing some reversal of this trend. We believe that Adnams and others are providing a range and quality of ales that appeal to all. We have been particularly pleased with the success of some of our newer beers, notably Adnams Ghost Ship.”