The average amount of alcohol drunk while eating out has fallen 54% since 2002, according to the latest Family Food Report.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs report shows spending in real terms on drinking out fell 13.4% between 2010 and 2013 to £3.02 per person per week. Spend on all alcoholic drinks fell 9.6% over the same period to £6.26 per person per week.
Average alcohol intake in 2013 was 8.9 grams per person per day with eating out purchases accounted for 22% of the total consumed. In 2013, eating out intakes of alcohol were 25% lower than in 2010.
Total food and drink eaten out was down 5.6% since 2010 at £12.31 a head. When alcohol is excluded the amount was up 0.3% to £9.29.
The report shows spend on takeaway food was up 2.6% on 2010 according to the report, to £1.77 per person.
On average 11.4% of all household spending went on food and non-alcoholic drink in 2013. For those on lower incomes, food and drink accounted for a larger amount of household spending. For the lowest 20% by income, 16.5% was spent on food and drink, the largest expense after housing, power and fuel.
The ratio between the highest and lowest spend on eating and drinking out varied more widely across the four UK countries than household purchases. Households in Northern Ireland had the highest purchases of food eaten out in 7 out of the 12 food categories, including ‘Indian, Chinese and Thai meals’, ‘meat and meat products’, alcoholic drinks, and confectionery. They purchased the least fish and fish products.
Scottish households had the lowest purchases of vegetables, potatoes, meat and meat products and ‘Indian, Chinese and Thai meals’. They had the highest purchases of sandwiches.
Welsh households purchased the least sandwiches, ‘ice creams desserts and cakes’, alcoholic drinks and beverages.
Spend on eating and drinking out varied across UK with an average weekly spend per head of £15.03 in Northern Ireland; £12.17 in England; £11.59 in Scotland and £10.19 in Wales.
In London, 34% of total spending on food and drink (including alcohol) was on eating out purchases. This compares to 27% in the East Midlands. In England as a whole 30% of all expenditure on food and drink including alcohol went on eating out purchases.
The biggest differential in eating out purchases in English regions is the ‘Indian, Chinese and Thai meals’ category; the North East had the lowest purchases at 24 grams per person per week whilst London had nearly twice as much at 42 grams. The East purchased the least alcoholic drinks at 298 ml – the North East purchased over half as much again. Ice creams, desserts and cakes varied from the West Midlands at 20 grams, to the South East with 30 grams.
