England and Scotland's World Cup matches helped drive higher sales in British pubs last month, while restaurants and bars suffered a weaker month, according to new figures.
The latest NIQ RSM monthly hospitality business tracker showed pubs were a strong performer across the hospitality sector during the month driven by football fans.
Experts have said they hope England's progress to the semi-finals has also fueled a “stronger” performance this month.
Like-for-like sales rose 1.9% in British pubs last month, the strongest monthly performance this year.
Pubs also benefited greatly from long periods of warm weather in some parts of the country, as England experienced the hottest June on record, according to the Met Office.
But other areas of the hospitality sector found it harder to attract customers, as many consumers remained cautious with their finances.
Sales in restaurants fell 0.7% year-on-year, which is the second worst month so far in 2026.
Bars suffered another significant drop in sales, with a 5.8% drop for the month.
Sales across all parts of the hospitality sector were slightly higher, up 0.2%, driven by the strong performance of pubs.
Karl Chessell, head of hotel operators and food at NIQ, said: “The June figures round out a modest first half of the year for the hospitality sector in which any growth in real terms was hard-won.
“The combination of the World Cup and the sunshine was a boost for the pubs, and we can expect good results in July following England's progress in the tournament.
“However, large events and heat typically don't work as well for restaurants, which are currently besieged by high costs.”
Saxon Moseley, director of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said: “Good news for one segment of the hospitality market invariably means that others will be under pressure, with restaurants, bars and takeaways losing ground in June.
“Looking ahead to the second half of the year, traders will be hopeful that Andy Burnham delivers on his promise to reform business rates and put more cash in consumers’ pockets.”
