Young consumers drive eating out trends
Diners are eating and drinking out at a wider range of establishments compared with two years ago, with the trend being led by young consumers.
That's according to the latest Leisure Spend Tracker from pub company Greene King, which found nearly one in three respondents said they visited a variety of places.
Those aged 18-34 are more likely to try an assortment of restaurants compared with their older counterparts and the younger generations will also eat out more frequently.
More than half of the respondents aged 18-24 and over a third of 25-34-year-olds have expanded their dining repertoire. Meanwhile less than a quarter of participants older than this indicated they had broadened their dining habits during the period.
Just over a fifth of respondents said they visited a narrower range of venues.
Pubs fared particularly well when it came to evening eating and drinking out behaviour, despite consumers mixing up their choices. The data showed that four in 10 respondents chose a pub ahead of restaurants for an evening meal.
According to the Spend Tracker, the average spend per household on eating out in December was £84.80, unchanged from the same period in 2014. Drinking out also remained static with the average spend at £48.14.
However, other leisure spend for the month saw a 13% increase year-on-year with an average spend per household of £87.22.
Fiona Gunn, Greene King group marketing director, said: "In spite of the economic pressures faced by today's Generation Y, they are the most likely of any group to report that they are going out for meals in the evening, compared to a couple of years ago. It was again this age bracket that proved that they're broadening their horizons fastest as the majority of these youngsters are experimenting with a wider range of places when eating and drinking out."
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