Casual dining market could be worth £100m to spirits, says Diageo

14 March 2016 by Hannah Thompson

The rise in casual dining in the UK could be worth £100m to the spirits trade according to beverage company Diageo.

According to its research, operators have a considerable untapped opportunity within the sector and spirits are the fastest-growing alcohol category, growing at 17% year-on-year. Almost 50% of consumers said that alcohol choice was an important factor for them when choosing where to eat out.

In response, Diageo has expanded its sales team to reach more customers, and has also launched a range of food-led serves to help outlets upsell spirits and inspire diners to choose them when eating out.

These include mint juleps using mint leaves and bourbon; a twist on a G&T, including lemongrass; ‘hard shakes' using bourbon, cream and syrup; and tequila with soda and grapefruit; or vodka with lychee juice and lemonade.

Ronak Mashru, sales director at Diageo GB, said: "A trend towards a more casual culture of eating out is emerging and through our research we strongly believe that spirits present a huge growth opportunity in the casual eating occasion. We encourage operators to think about how they maximise this opportunity by inspiring consumers to choose spirits."

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