Young ‘more interested in food’ than drinks

Young adults get their kicks out of good food more than they do from drinking, new research into the state of the UK dining and on-trade market has found.

The typical 18-24 year-old without children goes out for drinks once a week, but eats out 5-6 times per month (Photo: Pexels)

The perception of young people as boozing louts is officially out-dated, as only a small amount of the money spent on alcohol in pubs and restaurants comes from 18-24 year-olds.

The age-group accounts for 9% of adult consumers, but pays for only 11% of bills collected in bars and dining outlets, according to a report by finnCap.

“As young people are faced with a proliferation of new casual dining brands, it is becoming more about food than drink”, Roger Tejwani, the report’s author, said.

“That said, the number of people aged under 18 who have had an alcoholic drink has been in steady decline since 2003, and it therefore makes sense that as the same consumers move into the 18-24 year bracket, their drinking habits are more moderate than older consumers.”

The typical 18-24 year-old without children goes out for drinks once a week, but eats out 5-6 times per month in both licensed and non-licensed premises, the data shows.

“Increasing accessibility and affordability of eating out” appears to have encouraged younger consumers to eat out more frequently than they drink, it said.

Only 40% of young consumers drink out at least once a week, and fewer still (less than 10%) drink three or more times per week in pubs or bars.

One in seven has not been out for a drink at all in the six months prior to the survey, which was carried out by CGA Strategy.

The research also found that 15% of British people of all ages say the food available in pubs is just as important as the drink.