The country’s pubs, bars and restaurants are already raising a glass to England’s Euros campaign which has delivered a multi-million pound boost to industry — with more to come.
Trade body UKHospitality said it expects the team’s appearance in the final to deliver a 50 per cent increase in sales with the sector as a whole set to benefit from around £800 million being spent across the whole tournament.
That is in part due to extended licensing hours being put in place on Sunday with many premises using the opportunity to serve until 1am with around 17 million pints expected to be poured.
UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “The Euros final this Sunday will be a momentous day for the country and our nation’s pubs and bars, which are set to see a sales boost of £120 million. Pubs will be packed to the rafters with fans cheering on the Three Lions and creating an unrivalled atmosphere, outside of being at the game in Berlin. “With licensing hours already extended until 1am this Sunday, I hope fans will be able to take advantage to celebrate a historic victory for England.”
Not everyone is cashing in — restaurant owner Richard Caring is closing many of his Ivy and Bill’s venues as early as 7pm on Sunday so thousands of staff can watch the game.
A spokesman for Mr Caring said: “We are thrilled for the England team and it is a great chance for our staff, who have worked so hard through some very difficult times recently, to be able to watch the game.
“It is the first final for England outside of this country and they will now have many more voices cheering them on to what we hope will be a fantastic victory,” they added.
Fans who stay at home for the game will also play their part with one report predicting a total of £280.1million will be spent across retail stores as 14.4million shoppers prepare to cheer on the Three Lions from the comfort of their own homes.
The Men’s Uefa Euro 2024 spending report commissioned by VoucherCodes.co.uk said spending on food and drink of around £202.5million will account for the vast majority of that.
Plans are already under way for the morning after the night before with some schools opening late on Monday and employers warned the first day of next week is “unlikely to be business as usual”, particularly if England win.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, the professional body for HR services, urged companies to be flexible as they prepare for a surge in staff calling in sick or pleading to be allowed to work from home after watching the match.
Among the schools telling families they can let children stay up for the 8pm kick-off and come in late on Monday is Langley Park School for Boys in Beckenham where parents were told “the start of the school day will be delayed by one hour and a quarter and students should arrive one hour later than they would normally do”.
