British regional brewer and pubs group Greene King Plc said on Friday that trading in the first 12 weeks of its financial year was a little ahead of expectations across all areas of its business, according to Reuters.

Brewers and pub owners across Europe have been enjoying a bumper few months as consumers have struggled to quench their thirst in a record-breaking heatwave.
Britain's biggest brewer, Scottish & Newcastle Plc, said on August 28 that hot weather had boosted sales.
Greene King, which brews Abbot Ale, Old Speckled Hen and Greene King IPA beers, said beer volumes rose six percent in the first 12 weeks of its financial year, which began on May 5.
The firm, which also runs about 1,700 pubs in southern England, said like-for-like sales at its managed pubs, excluding those which had benefited from investment, rose 1.2 percent. This figure was also adjusted for the impact of last year's Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Like-for-like sales at tenanted pubs increased 3.9 percent on an uninvested basis.
"We remain confident that we can continue to generate additional value for our shareholders," the 204-year old brewer said in a statement ahead of its annual shareholder meeting.

29 August, 2003