Mansfield is leading the way for new pub and bar openings in the UK with a 62.5 per cent increase between 2020 and 2024, according to a new report.

The data, collected by payments solutions provider SumUp, puts Mansfield at the top of the High Street Retail Trends 2024 study.

It looked at growth in sectors including the high street, the fastest growing industries in retail, takeaways, hairdressing and beauty, and pubs and bars.

The report said: “Public houses and bars have faced significant challenges in recent years.

“The pandemic strained the industry as restrictions kept people from gathering at their local spots, and with more commuters now working from home, the traditional after-work drink became less common.

“Rising taxes and a dip in disposable income added to these pressures.

“Yet despite a -2.6 per cent decrease in pubs and bars across the UK, some cities (and towns) oppose this trend and are seeing a surge in industry openings.

“Leading the way is Mansfield, with a remarkable 62.5 per cent increase in new pub and bar openings since 2020, closely followed by Chatham with a 50 per cent rise.

“The new study has identified the UK cities where pubs and bars are seeing the largest increase to prove that the high street is not dying but, in fact, changing.”

Mansfield was also placed ninth for high street retail growth over the past five years.