Saturday will be the UK pub industry’s biggest trading day of the year

An average of 1,000 pints will be poured every second tomorrow as the UK turns all of its attention to both the royal wedding and FA Cup Final.

(Photo: Brakspear Pubs)

Pubs, bars and restaurants are expected to take millions in drinks orders on what has been dubbed “Super Saturday” by some members of the trade.

Extended opening hours will also provide a boost to the On-Trade, as UK Parliament approved proposals to extend standard pub licensing hours until 1am earlier this month.

The extension, which the British Beer and Pub Association campaigned for heavily, means that any premise permitted to sell alcohol up to or beyond 11pm will be able to so until 1am in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May 2018.

“Pubs have always held pride of place at royal weddings,” Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of chain Star Pubs & Bars, said.

“We predict it will be the busiest day of the year as people flock to their local on 19 May.”

It’s anticipated that over 50m pints of beer will be sold in one day, along with a huge spike in demand for British made ciders and English sparkling wines.

This is despite the fact that more than half (52%) of 16-24 year olds say they aren’t interested in the British institution at all, according to research by analysts at Kantar TNS.

Kantar surveyed Brits across the country to determine how many will be watching the royal wedding or the FA Cup.

Interestingly, apathy towards the monarchy has very little influence on whether people will be imbibing and celebrating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tying the knot. Across all age groups, 29% of those claiming to be uninterested in the Royals will be following the Royal Wedding in some way on Saturday.

Over a quarter of spectators will be prioritising watching the ceremony over Saturday’s FA Cup Final.

In fact, a number of pubs in Windsor are opening earlier tomorrow to accommodate the 100,000 extra visitors who are predicted to make it to the town for the nuptials.

The Queen Charlotte in Windsor, for example, is planning to open its doors at 7am.

“We’re preparing for the biggest day of 2018 – even if the British weather doesn’t cooperate,” said landlord John Perry.

“Harry is a very popular Royal and we’re all really excited. We’re decorating the pub like a wedding breakfast and shipping in big screens to show the ceremony and build-up live.”

Windsor itself is predicted to take around £1.5 million in retail spending over the weekend, according to agents real estate consultants Colliers International.

Mark Charlton, Colliers’ head of research, said that the royal wedding could even provide a lifeline to the UK’s troubled casual dining venues.

Events such as the royal wedding show that the high street and casual dining scene “still play an important role in the economy,” Charlton said.

“We predict that if 100,000 people descend on Windsor tomorrow for the Royal wedding, around £1.5 million could be spent in the town by well-wishers buying food, drink and memorabilia. In addition to this, there will be further spend generated over the weekend period by hotel and Airbnb overnight and long weekend stays.”