Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has announced it will stop serving food in around 400 of its pubs if the government’s smoking ban proposals go ahead in their current form.

Speaking at M&B’s full-year results meeting on 30 November, chief executive Tim Clarke reportedly said that the proposals to exempt pubs which don’t serve food from the smoking ban were “ridiculous” and “retrograde” and would fail if introduced.

Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, Clarke said: “If this laughable proposal were to go through, it would be commercially advantageous for us to take the food out of 400 pubs and revert to a drinking and smoking offer only.

“That’s the last thing in the world we want to do and just shows how ridiculous the proposal is. It’s not a threat, it’s just the reality of the stupidity behind the proposal.”

In the year to 1 October, M&B’s pre-tax profits rose 10.4 per cent to £195m on turnover up 4.6 per cent to £1.66bn. Like-for-like sales also rose 4.8 per cent. However, growth in the first seven weeks of the current financial year has slowed to 3.8 per cent, which the company says is a reflection of fewer beer sales and slowing consumer spending.

According to the results, trading in the group’s central London pubs had also shown some recovery since the 7 July terrorist attacks.

Elsewhere, M&B announced a new £100m share buyback scheme, which follows on from the £100m of shares bought back in the last financial year. Details: www.mbplc.com