Greene King has reported a 6 per cent rise in turnover to £445m for the 24 weeks ending 14 October, and remains confident facing the challenging winter ahead.

Operating profit also rose 11 per cent to £111.8m and earnings per share rose 14 per cent.

Rooney Anand, chair, said: “We have had a successful first half but we expect the remainder of the year to be more challenging. We will, however, benefit from the underlying strength of our business and recent acquisitions.

“There are well-documented concerns facing the entire industry: the first winter of the English smoking ban, cost pressures and general consumer confidence. Nevertheless, we continue to seize opportunities to strengthen our business and broaden the appeal of our pubs.”