The entry into force of the smoking ban in England on July 1^st can be an opportunity for suppliers of catering refrigeration, reveals RAC magazine. Many pubs and chains have been enlarging their no smoking areas in preparation for the smoking ban and while drinks sales fall, food sales have increased enormously, leading to a big expansion of their catering operations.

According to Caterersearch.com, pub company JD Wetherspoon has said booming food sales at its pubs in England have helped offset a decline in booze consumption due to the smoking ban. In the first 11 weeks of its fourth quarter, which crucially includes the first two weeks of the England smoking ban, sales increased 4.9%. Full-year sales compared with last year are running 6.9% ahead at present. Wetherspoon reiterated its long-held view that the smoking ban was helping drive growth in food sales and off-setting a decline in bar sales but added the loss of more profitable alcohol sales was putting pressure on margins.

Also, new research conducted by pub and brewery group Greene King reveals that Britain’s pubs are set to see an influx of new faces, like upmarket, married women in their forties. The research showed that over a third (36%) of women between the ages of 45 and 54 currently avoid pubs because of their smoky atmosphere. However, more than half (54%) plan to visit pubs once the ban is in effect, with 8 in 10 women surveyed saying the ban will make pubs a much more appealing place to socialise.