Britain's Mitchells & Butlers posts higher quarterly like-for-like sales

(Reuters) - British pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers PLC reported a 9.7% rise in quarterly like-for-like sales on Thursday, as Britons spent more on food and drinks during the summer and on Father's Day in June.

The company also said it had seen indications that cost pressures were starting to abate.

"We are working hard to mitigate these pressures as far as we are able, both through driving sales growth and implementing efficiencies, which should allow margins to start to rebuild towards pre-covid levels from next year," the company said in a statement.

(Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)