Young & Co’s Brewery has put steady sales in the face of the recession down to the appeal of its pubs to the more well-heeled drinker.

Stephen Goodyear, chief executive, said the company’s established “top-end” estate had helped it to weather the downturn, with a 0.1 per cent rise in like-for-like sales in its 121 managed houses in the 15 weeks to July 11. The company has also benefited from the decent summer weather and the recent tennis championships at Wimbledon, where several of its pubs are located, Mr Goodyear said.