Informal dining on the increase

Related tags Food Eating Datamonitor

British consumers are Europe's biggest spenders on eating out, with a growth in informal dining creating new opportunities for the pub trade.Market...

British consumers are Europe's biggest spenders on eating out, with a growth in informal dining creating new opportunities for the pub trade.

Market analyst Datamonitor says that in 2004, Britons spent on average £312 per person a year on eating out, and forecasts that this is set to increase to £356 in 2009.

The research shows that dining out is less often seen as a special occasion, with eating out on weekdays a way for consumers to seek a hassle-free and social environment in which to eat.

"The time pressures of everyday life has meant that eating out in the week has become an habitual self-indulgence for many," says Daniel Bone, consumer markets analyst at Datamonitor.

"Consumers now want to maximise their time and going out in the week allows them the chance to socialise without the hassle of cooking."

As consumers go out more during the week, eating times wil become more irregular and consumers will be looking for 'quick and easy' meals away from home, predicts Bone.

Matching the view of many pub operators that longer opening hours should increase demand for snack-style meals, Datamonitor forecasts that the number of mid-week evening eating-out occasions will rise by 30 per cent over the next five years.

However, for most consumers, the weekend maintains its status as a time for more formal dining out.

Related topics News

Property of the week

Follow us

Pub Trade Guides

View more