Pubs 'missing out' on £5m food sales a week

The pub trade could put another £5m a week in the till from existing customers, according to new research.

The Ontrack survey carried out by consumer group research group him! shows that on average, customers are spending less than they planned when eating at the pub.

Based on entry and exit interviews carried out with 5,600 pub customers across a range of outlets and pub groups, the survey found that while the average planned customer spend on a pub meal is £11.38 a head, but actual average spend is £10.79.

That lost 59p a meal adds up to £4.9m a week in food sales across the trade, estimated Katie Littler, client director at him!

She added that maximising spend by existing customers is more important than ever as the consumer downturn bites. "The number of people buying food in pubs has gone down year-on-year, which we believe to be a reflection of the credit crunch."

There is a similar missed opportunity with drinks, with an average expected spend of £9.32 per visit, compared to an actual average spend of £8.50.

Pubs also need to raise their game in meeting customer expectations, with many saying that the pub was not the right place for a celebratory night out, as well as finding that that the food and drinks served had failed to meet their expectations in many cases.

• him! has named Shepherd Neame its Best Pub Drinks Retailer for the year, while Punch Taverns was named Best Pub Food Retailer. Punch was also named Best Pub Retailer overall.