UK pubs enjoyed a strong bank holiday but industry bosses said staff shortages saw them miss out on a further £22 million in sales.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said about 57 million pints were poured over the long bank holiday weekend.
However, the industry body said it believes about five million more would have been sold but for a shortage of workers.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA called on the Government to help ease staffing pressures by widening the UK’s current shortage occupation list.
The call came as a survey showed optimism among Britain’s hospitality leaders has risen for the third quarter in a row.
The new business confidence survey from CGA by NIQ showed 62% of leaders currently feel optimistic about prospects for their business over the next 12 months, an increase of eight percentage points from the last survey in May.
The proportion of leaders feeling confident about the hospitality market in general has climbed by five percentage points quarter-on-quarter, to 45%.
Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ’s director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA, said: “Leaders’ optimism levels are impressively high at such a difficult time for UK businesses and consumers.”
“However, ongoing high inflation and staffing issues mean trading conditions will remain challenging until at least the end of the year.”