Bookatable.co.uk has revealed that there has been a significant rise in the number of Brits eating out at Christmas, as people look to avoid the stresses of cooking large family meals on 25 December.
Booking data from Bookatable’s database of over 800,000 diners was collated to create their Quarterly Dining Trends Report, the findings of which show that there has been a 150% rise in the number of people eating out at Christmas in 2014 from three years ago.
British still food of choice
While the data reveals that British food still ranks as the number one cuisine in the UK at Christmas time, overseas gastronomy is clearly emerging as an alternative to more traditional tastes during the period.
Of the top 10 foods during the festive period, American ‘Steaks and Grills’ took 14% of bookings. And revealing the growing number of French nationals living in Britain, French cuisine was the third most popular, taking a 7% share of bookings.
Most in demand
Looking at the most in demand restaurants during this period, Afternoon Tea at the Ritz proved to be the most popular restaurant choice in the UK during Christmas, taking a 30% share of all bookings. Outside London and proving to be Britain’s answer to a Disney inspired Winter wonderland, Alton Towers was found to be the most popular dining venue at Christmas for the rest of the UK, taking 21% of the 10 most popular dining venues in Britain.
The full list of top ten popular restaurants in the UK this Christmas season includes:
- Afternoon Tea at the Ritz
- Alton Towers
- Lady Dinahs Cat Emporium
- Cloud 23
- Rules
- The Witchery
- Le Chalet
- The Promenade at The Dorchester
- Jamie’s Italian at Covent Garden
- The Ritz Restaurant in London
Consumer spend and popular dates for dining
The earliest booking for Christmas Day 2014 was made on Tuesday 5 November 2013. Even further in advance, Bookatable discovered that the earliest booking for Christmas 2014 between the 1st – 24th period of December was made 693 days in advance on Tuesday 8 January 2013.
The most popular date for consumers to dine out during the Xmas period is expected to be Saturday 6 December, with the most popular date for lunch bookings being Thursday 25 December.
With many Brits fighting to cut costs this Christmas, Bookatable’s data reveals that eating out during the festive season can be an affordable and stress free alternative to eating at home, with Brits spending an average of just £25.27 per head on Christmas Day. Clearly dining out with slightly larger wallets on Boxing Day following the Christmas bonus, the average spend per head the day after Christmas is £27.23.
The top ten popular cuisines in the UK this Christmas
- British
- Steaks and Grills
- French
- Italian
- European
- Fish and Seafood
- International
- American
- Indian
- Mexican
Joe Steele, CEO of Bookatable, commented: “It’s interesting to see the significant rise in demand for restaurant bookings at Christmas, as more and more Britons are opting to eat out rather than endure the stress and growing costs for cooking a traditional family feast at Christmas. As our data shows, the earlier people book the better the deal they receive and as Brits continue to look for ways to save money at Christmas, we predict that this will only continue to grow over the coming years.”
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