Pub group Marston's new focus cooks up a tasty pre-tax profit of £31.3m

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Cheers: Marstons reported a full-year pre-tax profit of £31.3m against a loss of £59.2m last year

Marston's concentration on pub grub has paid off as the brewer returned to profit this year.

It reported a full-year pre-tax profit of £31.3million against a loss of £59.2million last year. 

The pub group opened 25 new pub restaurants in the year to October 3 and has been selling premises that don't fit its food-focused plan.

The Midlands-based group sold 117 pubs for £70million and plans to build 20 new ones in the next year.

Chief executive Ralph Findlay said: 'The three-year transformation of our pub portfolio … is now largely complete. 

Whilst new-build, food-led pubs remain our core growth driver, we have evolved our strategy to capitalise upon other opportunities for expansion.'

Russ Mould, AJ Bell investment director, said: 'The rise of the gastropub has changed its fortunes.'

Beer volumes in the period rose 15 per cent after it bought Daniel Thwaites brewing division for £25.1million in March. 

The final dividend was 4.5p a share, amounting to £25.8million. Shares rose 9.5p to 169p.