Midland pub group Enterprise Inns gas revealed extreme weather over the Christmas period cost it as much as £2 million off its festive profits.

Solihull-based Enterprise (ETI) said its first quarter profits had taken a hit from weeks of extreme snow and ice in the run up to Christmas.

Britain’s biggest pub owner Enterprise said the disappointing trading came after a solid start to the year.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, it said: “Whilst the distribution network performed well, the dangerous conditions caused by the extreme cold and snow kept many customers at home at a time when pubs across the industry would expect trade to be at its peak.

“It is therefore a tribute to the resilience of our licensees and the determination of their customers that we estimate the impact of these extreme conditions on our first quarter operating profit to be no more than £2 million.”

Net income was down by one per cent during the quarter, with net income per pub down by about two per cent.

The company has sought to benefit from rising food revenue and has been offloading pubs that “do not fit the future profile of the business” as it pays down its debts.

It generated about £32 million by agreeing contracts for the sale of 105 pubs over the quarter.