Punters are spending less money in pubs and bars than at any time since the lockdown ended due to cost-of-living crisis, survey reveals
Brits are spending less cash in pubs than at any time since the end of lockdown as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, new research has found.
A survey - which asked 3,200 UK consumers if they had spent more, less or the same on leisure over the last three months - found sentiment on 'drinking in pubs and bars' had dropped by six per cent compared to the previous quarter.
This meant the sector recorded the lowest interest since the period of reopening after Covid.
'Eating out' recorded a similar decline and has dipped to levels last seen at the end of 2022.
Experts at Deloitte, which conducted the survey, said the results proved cost of living concerns were continuing to blight the hospitality sector.
A survey - which asked 3,200 UK consumers if they had spent more, less or the same on leisure over the last three months - found sentiment on 'drinking in pubs and bars' had dropped by six per cent compared to the previous quarter
The result means that pubs and bars recorded the lowest interest since the period of reopening after Covid. Pictured is a file photo of a pub interior
Céline Fenech, consumer insight lead, told the Financial Times: 'The cost of living crisis and the fact that things remain more expensive than they were a year or two years ago are impacting [consumer behaviours].
'We are seeing signs of consumers easing their discretionary spending restrictions, but we are not seeing a splurge yet in leisure spending. There is no doubt that people are still trading off between spending on food at home and on going out.'
David McDowall, chief executive of Stonegate, the UK's largest pub operator, said sales were back to pre-pandemic levels, but January had been worse than expected.
'People for a week or two after a big occasion tend to be more careful with what they spend,' he said.
It comes as MailOnline revealed how pubs are increasingly resorting to unique ways to keep costs down in the face of high energy bills, competition from supermarkets, a decline in footfall and staff shortages.
This includes calling time on opening seven days a week, shortening their opening hours and saying goodbye to their kitchen in order to stay afloat.
The Kenton pub in Hackney, east London, has had to stop serving food in order to cut costs
Helping hand: Alison Boutoille, 34, launched CityStack two years ago with the aim of supporting independent pubs after the fallout of the Covid
The Nelson's Pub in Hackney has decided not to open its kitchen from Monday to Thursday due to low footfall, while the Windsor Castle in Finchley has reduced its Sunday hours and is considering reducing its Tuesday hours too.
Egil Johansen, who runs The Kenton in Hackney, east London, told MailOnline he stopped serving food last year after his gas and electricity bills tripled.
'It's a huge cost serving food. Especially on a busy Sunday when you serve roasts, you need to have a lot of extra staff on,' he explained.
'We partnered up with a local pizza company called Yard Sale Pizza who deliver pizzas straight to the pub and rather than have the kitchen sit empty we converted it into a karaoke room.'
This has allowed the pub to generate income without having 'massive expenditures' running powerful kitchen equipment, Mr Johansen said.
The pub, which opens from 4pm most days, has had to navigate increasing costs from suppliers as well as maintaining a Victorian building.
Responses to a viral social media post showed what punters have been charged across London, which is home to some of the UK's most expensive pints
Mr Johansen, who is originally from Norway, added: 'The landlord is putting the rent up ridiculously, so that's probably the biggest challenge for us right now.'
Figures from the BBPA revealed some 509 pubs shut for good in 2023, equating to a loss of 6,000 jobs - with 3,043 pubs going in the last six years. The UK total now stands at an estimated 45,306.
Alison Boutoille, 34, works with over 60 pub landlords in London, many of whom have had to adapt to survive, by changing their opening hours and closing on certain days of the week.
The Frenchman launched CityStack two years ago with the aim of supporting independent pubs after the fallout of the Covid and the disproportionately large effect the pandemic had on the hospitality industry.
