A brewpub with venues in both Cheltenham and Gloucester has reported a hugely successful festive period.

The 22 site-strong Brewhouse and Kitchen has announced increases in like-for-like sales for the Christmas and New Year period.

The firm said that like-for like liquor and food sales were up seven per cent and pre-booked party covers were up by 14 per cent.

Brewhouse put the sales boost down to their ability to offer a flexible buffet package alongside the traditional three courses. They say that this helped broaden the appeal of the offer and gave party bookers an increased level of options across various menus and price points.

Reports mention a significant rise in companies booking Christmas parties in January - aimed at those who work in retail, the emergency services and other sectors that we all rely on during the festive period.

They added that the 'experience-led gift' market continues to grow, with the chain aiming for their own gift experiences to be the leader in this category.

Reinforcing the consumer shift towards 'experience' over 'material' gifting, the group achieved a significant 50 per cent like-for-like increase in gift card sales over the festive period.

Their unique "Brewery Experience Day", which is priced at £85 per person and offers guests the opportunity to become a brewer for a day, was their biggest-selling gift.

Gift card sales will begin to be redeemed predominantly in Q1 of the following calendar year, which bolsters sales during what would traditionally be a slower trading period.

The company have also reported that sales of their overall experiences have grown 22 per cent year-on-year in 2019.

CEO Kris Gumbrell said: "We are very proud of our teams across the country who are continuing to work hard and deliver post-Christmas parties.

"We look forward to welcoming many retail workers, emergency service teams and others who didn't get an opportunity to celebrate Christmas during December.

"These are a robust set of results; the addition of more flexible Christmas party options and experience-led gifts have added another series of strings to the bow of our business.

"Now, we plan to build on this success by further developing the experience arm of our business over the next 12 months and beyond."