Fun feeds Garfunkel's group

Brits can't afford a new telly, a new car is out of the question, but having fun remains essential.

That's roughly how it seems to Andrew Page, chief executive of the Restaurant Group, the company behind Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Garfunkel's.

"People are buying less stuff but more experiences," is how he puts it. "There has clearly been something quite unusual going on for the last year or so. From our take, people are thinking far more carefully about how they spend their reduced level of disposable income."

They are still spending in his pubs and restaurants, half-year results suggest. "People still want to go out to cast off a little bit of the doom and despair," says Page.

Sales are up 7.5% to £234 million. Profit rose 8% to £24.4 million.