Pub landlords have said they are looking forward to the coming months after the coronation bank holiday weekend kicked off the start of the busy summer period.
The cost-of-living crisis has hit the hospitality industry especially hard, with several pubs across Suffolk announcing their closures this year due to rising bills.
But publicans had previously expressed their hopes the coronation weekend might prove to be a shot in the arm after the struggles of winter.
Chris Mapey, who owns The Duke of York in Ipswich and The Angel in Woodbridge, said the long weekend was a "nice, solid start" to the summer.
He said: "It was a good weekend. It was not the record-breaking weekend we might have hoped for, but still it was solid.
"The thing is with having multiple bank holidays in a month is that people only have the same amount of money to spend each month, especially with the cost-of-living crisis.
"The weather was with us, which was great. I always joke about pubs being solar-powered due to the sun.
"It was a nice, solid start to the summer period."
Ryan Scott, who runs The Golden Hind in Ipswich with his partner Darren, said the weather and events that were put on helped boost trade over the weekend.
He said: "It was a really good weekend. We had a big family day on the Saturday, we had a free barbecue, we showed the coronation and had a Madonna tribute in the evening.
"When the weather wasn't great, everyone got their brollies out.
"It really had a nice community feel to it. It was the perfect start to the summer."
Nick Attfield, director of hospitality and retail at Adnams, explained the brewery's pubs were not particularly busy while the coronation was taking place – but picked up later on in the day.
He added: "It's always nice to have bank holiday weekends, however they don't always have the desired effect. The poor weather on the Monday didn't help us.
"Whilst the coronation was actually happening we didn't get much trade – you always pick up afterwards.
"For visitors to the pubs that we operate, poor weather has a huge impact. But the weather for this weekend and going forward is good, so we are hopeful for the summer."
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