Wintery weather conditions during January had a severe impact on sales at some of the UK's leading pub and restaurant chains, according to the latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

The monthly tracker, which is run in partnership with the Coffer Group, UBS and KPMG, reported a 5 per cent decline in like-for-like sales across the 15 participating companies, compared with the same period in 2009. January sales figures also showed a 35 per cent decrease, compared with the previous month, as heavy snowfall led to more people staying at home.

Peter Martin of Peach Factory, which produces the tracker, said: "With so many city centres feeling more like ghost towns it is perhaps surprising that the figures weren't worse. Mitchells and Butlers, Whitbread and Pizza Hut are among the operators included as part of the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.