Household spend on eating out continues to rise

Spending on eating out was up during Easter, as households continued to allocate cash for special occasions.

According to the Greene King leisure spend tracker, households spent 4% more (£87) on eating out in April compared with the same time in 2014.

The survey of 2,000 households found that spending on eating out in April was also 12% up per household when compared with March, with Easter the main driver. Total leisure spend, including cinemagoing and health and fitness, was up 10% in April compared with March, at £214.19 .

In leisure terms there was no change in overall spend, indicating that eating out is taking a larger slice of the market.

The analysis suggested that with households spending less on groceries, thanks to supermarket price wars and low inflation, they are allocating more to eating out.

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."

Latest video from The Caterer