Christmas trends

With the impact of the COL crisis still being a big factor in consumer decision making (44% of people went out for food and drink less often), it’s a good idea to think about offering value across menus during the festive period. Over half of people (51%) think set menus provide good value for money at Christmas time whilst 57% of people say they enjoy seeing festive menus at Christmas time. Traditional options still lead the way with 63% of people preferring this, however non-traditional festive options should be considered too as over 3 in 10 say their ideal menu would have unique twists.

Christmas is well known for being a rather decadent time of year – especially when it comes to food, in fact 1 in 5 UK adults expect to eat more indulgent food at Christmas and almost 2 in 5 say they’ll eat more desserts. However there is still demand for healthier options to be featured on menus as just over 1 in 4 still look for healthy options when eating out during the festive period.

From booze to hot drinks and soft drinks, your drinks offering is as much a key part of your menu as the food. Wine lists and soft drinks top the list as most ordered on menus, but among the 18-34 age group cocktails are more often chosen. Consider festive twists for drink led occasions to premiumise your offering, whether that’s unique cocktail recipes or a warm festive coffee.

So, what about the big day itself? This year 3 in 10 people say they are likely to eat out on Christmas day, especially in London where it increases to 1 in 2 people dining out. 49% of people also said that the quality of the food and drink on offer for Christmas day is the most important factor when choosing where to dine out. Therefore there’s a prime opportunity to create a standout Christmas day menu offering.