Wed 21st Dec 2016 - Greene King Tracker – eating and drinking out spend sees double-digit increases in November Eating and drinking out spend sees double-digit increases in November as Britain bounces back from Paris terror attacks: Eating and drinking out spend in November saw double-digit year-on-year increases as Britain bounced back from last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris, according to the latest Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker. The average British household spent £206 on out-of-home leisure activities, which represented a £17 (9%) rise year-on-year. There was a year-on-year increase of £6 (16%) in spending on drinking out and a £7 (10%) rise in eating out. The short-term changes in spending are small, with eating and drinking out seeing decreased spending month-on-month of £5 (5%) and £2 (4%) respectively. Such reductions in spending are customary in the run-up to Christmas, although this year’s fall is lower than in 2015, which saw a £17 (8%) fall in total leisure spending. This is the third consecutive year that month-on-month spending decreased from November to October. Month-on-month, eating out’s share of spend mix remains stable at 40%, while drinking out has increased its share by 1% (to 22%) at the expense of other leisure activities. Year-on-year, the increases across eating out, drinking out and other leisure activities are likely to be driven by steady increases in leisure spending across 2016 in tandem with the poor performance of leisure in November 2015 after the Paris terror attacks. Increases in year-on-year spending are most pronounced in households without children, where there has been a £9 (12%) rise. There is also strong growth across Britain – London and the south east has seen increases of £8 (9%), slightly ahead of the rest of the UK, which was £7 (10%). Year-on-year, increases in drinking out spend was found in London and south east households, where it rose by £9 (22%), closely followed by an £8 (20%) increase among households without children. For the first time since April, other leisure saw both year-on-year and month-on-month rises in spending. The report also showed many Britons are keen to try an alternative to the traditional roast turkey and mulled wine this Christmas. Almost half of respondents said yuletide was a good time to try a different dish and more than a third a different drink. Young people are most willing to embrace change, with more than half of under-24s saying Christmas was an ideal opportunity to try a new tipple or different food. The over-55s are the most rooted in their traditions – although happy to experiment with new foods, they are less open to the idea of new drinks. Women are more enthusiastic to embrace change than their male counterparts, with more than half intending to try a new meal and more than a third a new drink this Christmas. Greene King CRM, digital and insights director Kenny Skelton said: “People save up all year for Christmas and see it as a great occasion to push the boat out and try something a bit different. Roast turkey with all the trimmings is still beloved by punters at Christmas but now customers are more adventurous and expect greater choice and new options on their Christmas menus.”