Pub food sales forecast to rise by 3% over the next 12 months
On a typical day last year, Britain’s pubs served 325,500 meals and that figure is set to increase to 418,000 meals a day over the coming couple of years. That means that with the average revenue of £5.50 per meal, each pub can expect to see its food takings grow by 3% a year.
Proof of the growth is the overall increase in pub food business from £1.9 billion in 1981 to £3.6 billion last year – and that’s after allowing for inflation. But despite 25 years of growth the pub food business is entering a particularly tricky period.
Amongst these challenges is the upcoming smoking ban which will undoubtedly affect overall business. The crucial question is whether it will have a positive or malign influence on food sales? The volume shift either way will depend on the current food:wet revenue mix and the nature of the individual pub’s clientele, but it makes sense to plan now for next year to get an increased share of what Horizons predicts will be a £3.7 billion market in 2007.