Marston is offering its full support to its tenants and lessees.

In an effort to protect its tenants and lessees, Marston’s, one of the UK’s leading independent brewer and pub operators, has announced it is to mitigate the price increase of major lager brewers while also freezing the cost of its own brewed beers.

In its Interim Management Statement, Marston’s reported that like-for-like profit at its tenanted and leased pub division, Marston’s Pub Company, was down 6% compared with last year. Its managed pub division, Marston’s Inn & Taverns, revealed profit down 2.9%.

The company owns more than 1,700 tenanted or leased pubs, and more than 500 managed pubs, which include Two for One and Pitcher & Piano. In its management report, it stated the price freeze measures “will help to ensure that our tenants and lessees are better placed to protect their sales and margins in a competitive environment, and, therefore, will also contribute to continuing stability.”

Despite a decline in profits, Marston’s Beer Company’s brewed volumes benefited from its acquisition of Wychwood Brewery in April 2008, which saw its market share increase in a declining market.

This news, along with its cautious but positive outlook that it is “relatively well-positioned in the longer term”, should be of comfort to its 12,000 employees throughout England and Wales.