UK's biggest regional brewer Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries Plc said on September 29 its beer sales had benefited from hot summer weather. The brewer of Banks's and Pedigree beers and owner of just over 1,600 pubs said trading in its 51-week period to September 20 was in line with its expectations, but warned of pressures from rising employee and regulatory costs. "We were well positioned having good community pubs with good gardens so the warm weather did contribute to our trading over the summer," said Chief Executive Ralph Findlay in an interview after issuing a routine trading statement.

30 September, 2003