November 30, 2006 | posted by Michael Baxter in IABN |

Maybe fears that a smoking ban will damage the pub business have gone up in flames. Earlier this month JD Wetherspoon revealed a 5.2 percent rise in like for like sales in Scottish pubs where smoking is banned. But, perhaps an even more telling statistic announced by the company is this: Sales in the pubs where smoking has been banned for a year have grown by 11.8 percent. But across the whole group, like for like were up by less, 9.2 percent.

Now another pub chain has revealed data to blow more fresh air on the debate. Over the last seven weeks food sales at Mitchells Butlers’ 80 Scottish pubs have soared seven percent, while drink sales were down two percent. The company’s boss, Tim Clarke, reckons that pubs that generate a substantial proportion of business from food will not be seriously affected by the ban, and that they may even see sales rise, but sales in drinks focused pubs might suffer.