
Nightclub market shrinking as younger people stay at home, says pub boss
Phil Urban, the chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers, said the group would not look to grow in that market because of the challenges it faces.
'The toughest part of the market right now is late night,' Mr Urban told the PA news agency.
'We're certainly not exposed like pure, late-night operators are, so we're quite thankful for that.'
Mitchells & Butlers owns brands including the All Bar One chain (Mitchells & Butlers/PA)
Mitchells owns restaurants, pubs and bar chains including Toby Carvery, Harvester, All Bar One, Nicholson's, and Miller & Carter.
While hospitality companies will be hoping for a boost in spending over the bank holiday weekend, family-focused events like Mother's Day and Easter have been the driving force behind a jump in visitors for many chains.
Last week, Marston's, which runs about 1,300 pubs in the UK, said such occasions were bringing in more customers, while it has recently invested in a new sports pub concept to capitalise on the growing market.
Mr Urban said younger people were straying from previous generations who would be more inclined to 'go out late night and stay out'.
'I think social media means that you don't have to do that to stay in touch with your friends,' he told PA.
The booming takeaway and home delivery market was also having an influence, he suggested, adding: 'People are often meeting beforehand to have something to eat, having a few drinks at home, before going out.
'So, those pure late-night, club operators, have certainly got a smaller market.
'We wouldn't go back into that sort of club market, it's not for us, because I do think it's going to take a long while to reverse – if it does.'
He said all the company's brands were 'doing well', but that its Irish pub and bar chain O'Neill's was 'probably having the toughest time' due to its exposure to the night-time industry.

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South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
UK Government's £50m pledge for Casement Park an enormous step forward – O'Neill
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly responded by stating that sport across Northern Ireland is 'crying out for financial support'. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn confirmed that the £50 million is ringfenced for the rebuild of the west Belfast GAA stadium and cannot be spent on other projects by the Stormont Executive. The money was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review, which outlines the UK Government's spending plans over the coming years. Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it is 'past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way'. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap of around £150 million. Today marks a significant step forward in the redevelopment of Casement Park, as the British government joins the Executive, the Irish government, and the GAA in committing funding. In every meeting I've had with the British government, I've made the case for funding Casement… — Michelle O'Neill (@moneillsf) June 11, 2025 The Government announcement includes £50 million over four years to support the currently derelict stadium being developed. Ms O'Neill said: 'Casement Park is an Executive flagship project and is more than just a sporting venue, it will serve as an economic driver for the surrounding communities and region, creating jobs and attracting investment. 'Today's commitment of substantial funding from the British Government marks an enormous step forward. It is time for all of us to pull together to now get Casement built.' Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated build cost spiralled in the interim. Last September the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 games, when it said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time. As well as the Stormont contribution of £62.5 million, the Irish government has offered roughly £42 million and the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million. It has been reported that the cost of the project has fallen to £270 million since it was confirmed the ground would not host Euros matches. Under current plans and including the £50 million from Wednesday's announcement, the funding shortfall stands at roughly £100 million. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said it was now up to the Stormont Executive to do work on updating plans and costings for the Casement project. He said: 'We will look at those proposals to support them as best we can.' The DUP's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has previously said that any additional money for sporting infrastructure in Northern Ireland had to be delivered on a fair and equitable basis. Ms Little-Pengelly said: 'It'll be over to the GAA in terms of the way forward on that, but from our point of view, it's very much about trying to ensure in an inclusive way that there is fairness right across the needs of all of our sports.' Asked if the £50 million could be spent on other Executive sporting projects, Mr Benn said: 'It is the bottom line. 'This is £50 million for Casement Park, it is ringfenced for that purpose.' He added: 'This is an Executive commitment, it dates from 2011. 'Three stadia – Windsor Park, Ravenhill, Casement Park, three great sporting codes. 'Two of them have been done and Casement Park has not been done. 'We all want to see it completed. 'It is worth looking at how much the UK Government has given directly to football, rugby, sport, leisure and other things over the past four-and-a-bit years, it amounts to £47 million, and a very small bit of that, £1.1 million, went to two projects supported by the GAA. 'We're balancing out what has been the contribution to football, rugby, other sports and leisure over the last four years because I think everyone wants to see the Casement Park project completed.' GAA president Jarlath Burns said it was an 'important and significant' investment from the UK Government. He added: 'We know, however, that this is not the final piece of jigsaw and there is much more work to do. 'The GAA will engage directly with the NI Executive and the Department for Communities to ensure that all parties actively pursue, and secure, a full funding package that will deliver upon the GAA's strategic stadium need.' Ms Reeves' announcement was also welcomed by the Irish government. Deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said Dublin had long supported the redevelopment of Casement Park as a 'landmark sports infrastructure project'. Mr Harris said: 'In February 2024, we made an early commitment from the Shared Island initiative of up to 50 million euro (£42 million) for the redevelopment of Casement. 'We underlined our commitment at that time to support the GAA in progressing this project in partnership with the UK and NI authorities. 'I will now engage with all these partners to deliver a redeveloped stadium. 'The last match hosted in Casement was well over a decade ago and it is past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way.'

Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
UK Government's £50m pledge for Casement Park an enormous step forward – O'Neill
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly responded by stating that sport across Northern Ireland is 'crying out for financial support'. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn confirmed that the £50 million is ringfenced for the rebuild of the west Belfast GAA stadium and cannot be spent on other projects by the Stormont Executive. The money was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review, which outlines the UK Government's spending plans over the coming years. Ireland's deputy premier Simon Harris said it is 'past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way'. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap of around £150 million. Today marks a significant step forward in the redevelopment of Casement Park, as the British government joins the Executive, the Irish government, and the GAA in committing funding. In every meeting I've had with the British government, I've made the case for funding Casement… — Michelle O'Neill (@moneillsf) June 11, 2025 The Government announcement includes £50 million over four years to support the currently derelict stadium being developed. Ms O'Neill said: 'Casement Park is an Executive flagship project and is more than just a sporting venue, it will serve as an economic driver for the surrounding communities and region, creating jobs and attracting investment. 'Today's commitment of substantial funding from the British Government marks an enormous step forward. It is time for all of us to pull together to now get Casement built.' Stormont ministers committed £62.5 million to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated build cost spiralled in the interim. Last September the UK Government ended hopes that the west Belfast venue would host Euro 2028 games, when it said it would not bridge a funding gap to deliver the redevelopment in time. As well as the Stormont contribution of £62.5 million, the Irish government has offered roughly £42 million and the GAA has pledged to contribute at least £15 million. It has been reported that the cost of the project has fallen to £270 million since it was confirmed the ground would not host Euros matches. Under current plans and including the £50 million from Wednesday's announcement, the funding shortfall stands at roughly £100 million. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said it was now up to the Stormont Executive to do work on updating plans and costings for the Casement project. He said: 'We will look at those proposals to support them as best we can.' The DUP's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has previously said that any additional money for sporting infrastructure in Northern Ireland had to be delivered on a fair and equitable basis. Ms Little-Pengelly said: 'It'll be over to the GAA in terms of the way forward on that, but from our point of view, it's very much about trying to ensure in an inclusive way that there is fairness right across the needs of all of our sports.' Asked if the £50 million could be spent on other Executive sporting projects, Mr Benn said: 'It is the bottom line. 'This is £50 million for Casement Park, it is ringfenced for that purpose.' He added: 'This is an Executive commitment, it dates from 2011. 'Three stadia – Windsor Park, Ravenhill, Casement Park, three great sporting codes. 'Two of them have been done and Casement Park has not been done. 'We all want to see it completed. 'It is worth looking at how much the UK Government has given directly to football, rugby, sport, leisure and other things over the past four-and-a-bit years, it amounts to £47 million, and a very small bit of that, £1.1 million, went to two projects supported by the GAA. 'We're balancing out what has been the contribution to football, rugby, other sports and leisure over the last four years because I think everyone wants to see the Casement Park project completed.' GAA president Jarlath Burns said it was an 'important and significant' investment from the UK Government. He added: 'We know, however, that this is not the final piece of jigsaw and there is much more work to do. 'The GAA will engage directly with the NI Executive and the Department for Communities to ensure that all parties actively pursue, and secure, a full funding package that will deliver upon the GAA's strategic stadium need.' Ms Reeves' announcement was also welcomed by the Irish government. Deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said Dublin had long supported the redevelopment of Casement Park as a 'landmark sports infrastructure project'. Mr Harris said: 'In February 2024, we made an early commitment from the Shared Island initiative of up to 50 million euro (£42 million) for the redevelopment of Casement. 'We underlined our commitment at that time to support the GAA in progressing this project in partnership with the UK and NI authorities. 'I will now engage with all these partners to deliver a redeveloped stadium. 'The last match hosted in Casement was well over a decade ago and it is past time for the redevelopment of this historic venue to get under way.'


Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Reeves sets out spending review as Labour government ‘moves to new phase'
The Chancellor said total departmental budgets would grow by 2.3% a year in real terms and promised a 'record cash investment' in the NHS, amounting to an extra £29 billion a year. Setting out the spending review in the House of Commons, Ms Reeves said the tax hikes and looser borrowing rules allowed her to spend £190 billion more on the day-to-day running of public services and £113 billion on investment. Chancellor Rachel Reeves updated MPs on the results of the spending review (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) The review marks a watershed moment for the Government, almost a year after Labour's election landslide. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told the Cabinet that the spending review 'marks the end of the first phase of this Government, as we move to a new phase that delivers on the promise of change for working people all around the country and invests in Britain's renewal'. In a sign of the difficulties which face Sir Keir and the Chancellor, migrants continued to cross the English Channel in small boats on Wednesday. Ms Reeves promised funding of up to £280 million more per year by the end of the spending review period in 2028/29 for the new Border Security Command and committed to end spending on hotels for asylum seekers by the next election. A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel on Wednesday (Gareth Fuller/PA) In an attack on the Conservative legacy, she said: 'The party opposite left behind a broken system: billions of pounds of taxpayers' money spent on housing asylum seekers in hotels, leaving people in limbo and shunting the cost of failure onto local communities. 'We won't let that stand.' She said 'we will be ending the costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers, in this Parliament' with funding to cut the asylum backlog, hear more appeal cases and return those with no right to be in the UK. The plan would save taxpayers' £1 billion a year, Ms Reeves said. The Chancellor said her 'driving purpose' was 'to make working people, in all parts of our country, better off' as she promised cash to rebuild schools and hospitals, confirmed funding for nuclear power schemes and major transport projects across the country. She said the Government would set out plans for 'Northern Powerhouse Rail' in the coming weeks and an additional £3.5 billion to upgrade the TransPennine route. 'We are renewing Britain,' she said. 'But I know that too many people in too many parts of our country are yet to feel it.' As well as changing Treasury rules to support investment in England's regions, Ms Reeves said the spending review period would provide £52 billion for Scotland, £20 billion for Northern Ireland and £23 billion for Wales. She said research and development funding would rise to more than £22 billion a year and promised £2 billion for the artificial intelligence action plan 'because home-grown AI has the potential to solve diverse and daunting challenges as well as the opportunity for good jobs and investment in Britain'. The Chancellor promised a cash increase of £4.5 billion a year for the core schools budget by the end of the spending review period, but also pledged up to £2.3 billion a year to repair 'crumbling classrooms' and £2.4 billion for a programme to rebuild schools. Police 'spending power' – implying extra cash raised from council tax – will rise by 2.3% a year in real terms over the review period, providing more than £2 billion for forces. Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: 'Workers and communities need to see action now, promises of jobs can't always be promised for tomorrow and never actually be delivered. 'This must include a comprehensive and tangible jobs agenda that deals with the wave of job losses on the horizon, for example in the oil and gas industry. 'We need a joined up industrial strategy that sees investment in Grangemouth and much-needed procurement decisions on buying British in defence. 'Growth and profits need to convert to jobs and wages. 'Today was a missed opportunity to lay out the funding to tackle key issues, including the energy costs crippling British industry and the local authority debt which is straight-jacketing services in our communities. 'Spending cuts will be seen as austerity, those are the facts. Labour needs to pick up the pace on change otherwise it will be stuck in the political slow lane while other voices get louder.'