Insider Media Limited

Wolverhampton pubco Marston's has improved both revenue and profit for the year to 1 October 2011. The company also pledged to open more pubs and create about 1,000 new jobs in 2012.

Revenue grew by 4.8 per cent to £682.2m, with a pre-tax profit rise of 9.4 per cent to £80.4m. These rises were largely driven by food sales which were up by 5 per cent and now represent 42 per cent of sales across the business.

In its new sites, of which 19 were built in this financial year under its "F-plan" focusing on "food, females and forty/fifty-somethings", food sales represented 62 per cent of total sales.

Marston's said it plans to complete about 25 new-build sites in the next financial year with this format.

I addition, the company has agreed a new bank facility of £257.5m until May 2016, whuch replaces its existing £295m facility that was due to expire in August 2013.

Ralph Findlay, chief executive of Marston's, said: "Customers are looking for affordable treats, and our focus on value, service and quality in a traditional pub environment has proved successful.

"Our new-build pub-restaurants; the introduction of franchise agreements in around 350 pubs; and increased commercial support to our tenanted and free trade customers are all contributing to the achievement of our key objectives.

"The successful implementation of our strategy will mean that we will create around 1,000 new jobs in 2012."