Taking advantage of seasonal changes

According to the Lumina Intelligence UK Pub & Bar Market Report 2025*, pubs and bars have grown share of occasions by +1.1 percentage points, penetration by +1.3 percentage points, frequency by +4.3% and average spend by +7.3%. Growth is increasingly being driven by 25–34s, particularly in London, the South East and other urban areas.

However, consumer missions are shifting. “To wind down and relax” is now the fastest-growing reason to visit a pub, increasing by +1.5 percentage points and overtaking treat-led visits. Emphasizing the importance of having strong messaging to target key occasions and seasonal offers that feel relaxing, experience led worth the spend for customers.

Turning occasions into opportunities

There has been a big increase of pubs changing their formats during the seasonal periods. We’ve seen examples of pubs turning their space into Christmas grottos for families, hosting egg hunts, showing outdoor cinemas, plays, comedy shows, and many transform their sites into sporting hubs during major sporting occasions. These occasions and experiences are fantastic for driving additional spend and ensuring the community see your pub as a social hub throughout the whole year.

Experience-led formats are becoming an even stronger competitive edge for pubs. Mintel research shows that 37% of consumers say live entertainment would encourage them to choose one pub over another, while adding varied seating and regular events alongside entertainment can boost reach to 63%*.

Seasonal and cultural events also give pubs a clear reason to create themed nights, drink bundles, limited-time menus and event-led offers. This helps customers see the pub as more than somewhere to eat or drink — it becomes a place to celebrate, unwind and connect**.

From Valentine’s dishes to festive feasts, there’s always something to look forward to in the year... To help you navigate these themes, we have created an array of support from key consumers insights to recipe inspiration.

View recipe inspiration here

Christmas

When working in hospitality, it can often feel like it’s always Christmas. From planning the menus to serving your unforgettable dishes to your customers, there’s a huge amount to prepare and plan. Our goal is to support you to deliver the best Christmas ever through menu inspiration, insight into consumer behaviour and ideas on how to capitalise on the period.

Find all our support for Christmas here
There’ll always be dishes that sell all year but it’s important to keep things fresh. Generally we find that people want roughly the same throughout the year but we’ve found that making seasonal changes is a good way of driving quality, it’s better for sustainability reasons, and it’s commercially beneficial too.
Graeme Warwick, Head of Food at Brewhouse and Kitchen
The UK’s largest Brewpub where every pub has a micro-brewery on-site which pairs beers with their classically inspired dishes on the menu.

Why should pubs change their menus seasonally?

By making seasonal tweaks, it is a great way of adding a quality feel to your menu. It also keeps your menu fresh and gives more reasons for customers to come back without making massive changes. Utilising seasonal vegetables is the easiest way to implement this on menus. The additional message behind this is how it drives your sustainability credentials with British in season ingredients.

What are the benefits of seasonal menu adjustments?

Customers are looking for provenance on menus as a way of driving value for money, so any way of adding a local or British touch to dishes will go a long way. By driving the quality in your messaging on your menu descriptors through seasonality, it will add a real sense of premium for your menu.

How does seasonal menu rotation impact food quality?

Regularly rotating your seasonal options on a menu not only keeps things fresh but it is a great way to take advantage of great tasting food when it is at its best. That enhances your quality, drives innovation with your chefs and it drives sustainability goals too. Not only that, but it aligns with customer preferences, building the overall pub dining experience.

How does seasonal menu adjustments reflect pub identity and branding?

Seasonal menu adjustments at your pubs not only showcase your commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients, but they also underscore your dynamic and adaptive approach to providing a unique and constantly changing culinary experience.

Your ever-changing menu reflects the essence of your pub identity, where innovation meets tradition, creating a brand that evolves with the seasons to keep your offerings exciting and relevant.

What are some practical tips for implementing seasonal menu changes?

  1. Plan ahead: Schedule seasonal menu changes in advance over the year.
  2. Stay fresh: Plan for menu development throughout the year that focusses on in-season ingredients that add flavour and quality.
  3. Test and adjust: Pilot new dishes and refine them based on feedback.
  4. Communicate: Update online platforms to inform customers and promote within your pub too.
  5. Train staff: Familiarise teams with new offerings and their benefits/flavour profiles they add.
  6. Monitor trends: Adapt menus based on developing customer preferences.
  7. Collaborate: Speak to us about how we can bring to life your seasonal menus with products in our range and support from our teams
  8. Highlight wherever possible: Use enticing menu descriptions for your seasonal dishes.
  9. Collect feedback: Before planning the next year, encourage customer input for continuous improvement

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*Source: Lumina Intelligence, UK Pub & Bar Market Report 2025, Executive Summary and Consumer Insight, pp. 5-58.

** Lumina Intelligence, UK Pub & Bar Market Report 2025, Market Insight/Future Outlook, pp. 20, 81.

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