Pandemic forces closures across group, which includes Beefeater and Brewers Fayre chains
The Premier Inn owner Whitbread has reported a £1bn annual loss as sales fell by almost three-quarters as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns, but the hospitality group said summer bookings to seaside and mountain resorts had surged.
As the pandemic forced the closure of venues across the group, which also includes the Beefeater and Brewers Fayre pub-restaurant chains, revenues plunged 71% to £589m in what was “one of the most challenging years” in its 279-year history, according to the chief executive, Alison Brittain.
