House parties twice as popular as bars

Entertaining friends at home is now twice as popular as gathering in a local bar or pub in the UK, a new survey has revealed.

Nearly two-thirds of those who prefer gatherings at home said that the cost of going out was the main reason (Photo: Wiki)

The poll of 2,000 people in the UK shows that 52% of people would rather host or attend a gathering of friends at a house instead of a pub or bar, The Mirror reports.

This compares with just 23% who would prefer to socialise at their local. As many as 64% of those who favour at-home gatherings pointed to the cost of going out as the main reason for their preference.

Dining at a restaurant as a way of meeting up with friends was the top choice for only 11% of people.

And off those hosting parties at home, just 14% would make them sit-down dinner parties, compared to 28% choosing to lay on nibbles and wine, the survey by cracker brand Ritz found.

The recent trend for staying at home over going out has startled the UK on-trade into offering a more premium experience to account for falling footfall and dwindling amounts of drinking.

On the whole, UK bars and pubs are seeking value over volume sales, with more expensive craft beers and small-batch wines more widely available to encourage drinkers to trade up for the drinks they have on an increasingly rare evening out.

The survey found that only 13% of people went to the pub once a week, 17% once a fortnight and 16% once a month. Some 5% of people said they only went to the pub once a year.