Entire Hydes estate fully booked for Christmas

North west-based brewer and pub retailer Hydes is gearing up for a bumper festive period with bookings for 2024 already at maximum capacity for Christmas Day dinners.

The business, led by MD Adam Mayers, has revealed that Christmas Day bookings for pubs across its estate were already at 75% capacity by July.

"By July of this year, festive menu bookings were already up 15% on the same time last year, so 2024 looks like being a record year for us," says catering development manager David Oldham. "Typically most of our pubs are full by September. This year is no exception."

Food in numbers

Last year, over 1,000 6-7kg turkey crowns were served to visitors to Hydes dining pubs between 22 November and 31 December, equating to over 12,500 Christmas dinners and resulting in Hydes’ most successful Christmas on record. In addition to turkey, 3,600 braised feather blades of beef portions were also sold to guests. 

Over the festive period in 2023, Hydes chefs served up 10.6 tonnes of potatoes, 3.5 tonnes of carrots, 3.2 tonnes of swede and 1.6 tonnes of sprouts. 

"Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year," adds Mayers. "Training and communication across the business is key to guarantee that customers are well looked after. We always go above and beyond to guarantee guests get the best Christmas meal we can deliver. 

"This Christmas looks like being our busiest ever and we are looking forward to welcoming lots of families who enjoy getting together to eat in one of our pubs, with the real fires burning and drinks flowing. And nobody has to wash up!"

The October issue of Pub & Bar will feature an exclusive project called The Festive Report, detailing the intentions of UK consumers when it comes to pub visits this Christmas. 

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