Feather & Fern PR recently conducted a national survey, examining British dining out trends, which you can read more about below. This has been covered by trade media, including QSR Media UK.
According to a national survey run by food, hospitality and tourism public relations consultancy, Feather & Fern PR, the majority of Brits haven’t changed their dining out habits over the past 12 months, despite costs increasing.
According to the survey of 2000 people, which took place during February this year, 65 percent are dining out the same amount as they were a year ago – and just over eleven percent (11.2%) reported that they are dining out more.
When it comes to how much they are spending on restaurant, café, and pub meals, 45.9 percent said that they are spending the same as they were 12 months ago, and 22.6% are spending more.
Survey participants also talked about the qualities that attract them to a dining destination. The majority are influenced by a previous positive experience at the venue (74.1%), followed by friend and family recommendations (58.3%), good value for money and special deals (51.7%), online review sites (37.4%), and social media (24.9%).
The favourite cuisine in the UK over the past year has been traditional pub food (24.1%), followed by modern British cuisine (18.9%), Italian (17.5%), Indian (13.8%) and Chinese (12.4%).
Managing Director of Feather & Fern PR, Jen Bell, said:
“We all know how severely the British hospitality industry was impacted by the pandemic. Many people are still grappling with the aftermath years later. That, coupled with on-going economic challenges and the cost-of-living crisis means that it can be a challenging place to be – so, it is encouraging to see that so many people are still able to support British pubs, cafés, and restaurants.”
“It did come as a surprise that so many people have stuck to the same dining out habits but when you look at some of the individual responses, it makes sense,” she added. “Several participants said that having the occasional meal out is something to look forward to. Lots of people can’t afford to go on holiday at the moment, but they can stretch to a meal at their local pub or restaurant. They save up for it and enjoy it as a special treat. Others aren’t feeling the cost-of-living pressures in quite the same way, and are keen to continue dining out and experiencing different cuisines and locations.”
The top two responses from individuals that have dined out more over the past year was that they have started earning more recently (64%) or that their children are getting older so they are able to dine out more (23%).