Eating out sector up 4% year-on-year in April

April saw an increase in spending on eating out of 12% compared to March as households “splashed out on Easter dinners over the long weekend”. The report found that Brits spent 4% more, £87, going out to eat compared to the same month last year, and Easter was the “major driving force”.

This drove an increase in total leisure spend of 10% in April versus March.

There was no change in total leisure spend versus last year indicating that allocation of spending rather than volume of spending is the key change.

However, drinking out spend decreased 4% year-on-year, following a return to growth last month

Fiona Gunn, Greene King’s marketing director, said: “Special occasions and landmark events, such as Mother’s Day and Easter, are influencing how people choose to spend their money on leisure. Following the recession, consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of budgeting and keeping an eye on spending. Consumers continue to find the cash for big events and the leisure industry is still dominated by important annual celebrations. It will be interesting to see how this trend continues over the course of the year.”

The tracker found that household spend in London and the South East increased just 1%, offsetting a small fall in the rest of Great Britain of 1%

Other Leisure, which includes pursuits such as the cinema, live sports events and museums, saw a strong recovery in spend, down just 3% compared to last year, with a strong 9% increase versus March.

Gunn said: “With comparatively more live football matches and more popular movies released, live sport events and the cinema certainly benefited from the increased spend during April.”

Regionally, London and the South East saw a small growth in spending, of just 1%, which counterbalanced the small decrease in the Rest of GB.

The report said that this demonstrated the continued imbalance in spending power between the North and the South of the Britain.

Gunn said: “While the difference is not significant enough to indicate a widening gap in financial environments throughout the country, London and the South East remain the most popular location for leisure spend.”