Increase in spend and numbers eating dinner at pubs

23-Jun-2022 - Last updated on 23-Jun-2022 at 08:35 GMT

Day part eating up: pubs have captured 13.9% of the eating-out market in the most recent 12-week period (credit: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

Related tags Finance Food Beer Spirits Wine

The number of people eating dinner at pubs has risen and their average spend during this day part has increased by 10%, according to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Eating & Drinking Out Panel.

The data insights specialist revealed pubs had a 13.9% share of total dinner occasions across the eating-out market in the 12 weeks ending (12WE) 15/05/2022 – up 1.3ppts (percentage points) v 12WE 20/02/2022.

In the same period, average spend at dinner per consumer was £21.60, and increase of +10% versus the previous period. Spend at dinner is up in the majority of channels, with restaurants seeing an increase of 3% in the latest quarter, however, it is pubs that have seen the biggest increase.

These increases are partially driven by high inflation, but also a rise in consumers trading up on less frequent dinner occasions.

Spirits most popular

On average, consumers purchase between two to three alcoholic drinks per eating-out occasion, whether it is by itself or with food.

Spirits drinkers drink the most drinks per sitting – on average, 2.55 drinks per occasion in the 12WE 15/05/2022. This is followed by 2.54 for beer drinkers and 1.97 for wine drinkers. Versus the previous 12-week period, this is a 4% increase for spirits, 1% decline for beer and 2% decline for wine.

On average, in the 12WE 15/05/2022, alcohol drinkers spend £10.98 on drinks per visit, which is 3.2% down on the previous 12 weeks. Lumina’s data shows a decline across both beer (£10.46) and wine (£12.06), but a 10.1% increase in spend from spirits drinkers (£16.71).

These differences are being driven in part by the changes in number of drinks consumed, with consumers having slightly fewer beers and wines, but enjoying more spirits. Longer term spend increases will inevitably go up due to price inflation.

Pubs and bars will win

Lumina Intelligence insight director Blonnie Whist said: “Pubs are bouncing back despite the challenges the sector is facing. Increased spend and regained dinner share are great signs that for high-spend occasions, which are a bit more special and discretionary, pubs and bars are going to win out.

“Spirits are becoming a key opportunity for operators to drive frequency and spend, however, this cannot be at the expense of beer, which continues to drive the highest volume.”

Find out more about Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker here.