Pub lunch under threat as consumers eat out less

The amount consumers spend on eating out of the home has fallen for the first time in 40 years, according to a new study commissioned by fast food giant McDonalds.

Only 2.4 per cent of UK workers go to the pub for lunch, as changing working patterns and concerns about the economy undermine the traditional 'pie and a pint'.

The report looked at eating habits across the sector, including pubs, restaurants, fast food and takeaway outlet, coffee shops and sandwich bars.

It found that pubs account for 16 per cent of a total 'informal dining' market worth just over £40bn a year. Compiled by industry analysts Allegra Strategies, the study forecasts the market to be down by 0.5 per cent this year as consumers cut back on spending.

The report also predicts a 'recession legacy' of customers expecting price deals and promotions from operators.

The study found that:

• On average UK consumers spend £12.75 a week on eating out
• 7.7 billion informal meals are eaten out a year in the UK, or 128 meals for every person in the UK
• Eating out now accounts for 22 per cent of spend on food and drink compared to just 14 per cent in 1969
• However, 35 per cent of people ate out less in the last 12 months, and 20 per cent expect to eat out less in the next year
• Just 2.4 per cent of workers go to the pub for lunch, compared to 57.4 per cent who take a packed lunch
• One in five people, 21 per cent, say they eat at the pub less often than a year ago

Regionally, the Welsh are the trade's most loyal customers, with 39 per cent saying they eat at a pub at least once a fortnight. Londoners eat out more than anyone else, with 15 per cent of weekly meals out of home, but the range of choice in the capital means they are not loyal pub food customers.

Steve Gotham, project director, Allegra Strategies, said: "There is a myth that, with relatively low transaction sizes, the informal eating out sector is recession proof, but this report shows that, while some companies continue to do well, many are suffering.

"The industry will have to become more consumer-focused as customers won't forget what they are learning in the recession. Eating out may have become an everyday experience, but when the economy picks up, people won't go back to paying over the odds for a meal."