hospitalitytoday.com | 21
Horizons’ bi-annual Menu Trends survey
(Summer 2016) reveals that the proportion of
side orders offered is now 18.2%, compared
with 17.1% this time last year. There has also
been a 60% increase in the number of new
snacks dishes on menus since last year.
“This partly reflects the more flexible nature
of dining out, driven by consumers who want
to eat what they want, when they want.
But it also shows that operators are upselling additional side dishes and snacks to
customers rather than increasing the price of
their main courses,” said Horizons’ analyst
Nicola Knight.
The average price of a main course across
all types of outlet went down 2.1% yearon-year to £10.71 in summer 2016, while
starters dropped 3.2% and desserts prices
rose to 1.1%.
The higher cost of starters and desserts
had the overall effect of raising the price of
an average three-course meal across most
sectors. The average price for a non-meal
deal three-course meal [excluding drinks]
in a hotel was £28.59 (up 3.7%). In a pub
a three-course meal cost £18.94 (up 1.1%)
and in a restaurant it was 1.5% cheaper
than last summer at £21.22.
“Overall the cost of eating out has risen at a
slower rate than inflation over the past year
so it seems that operators do not seem able to
increase their prices to reflect additional costs
such as the National Living Wage and the
possibility of supply costs increasing postBrexit,” said Nicola Knight.
Price reductions varied according to the
type of outlet, although hotel prices for
a non-meal deal main course fell by the
largest amount at 4.1% to £14.67 this year.
Pubs increased their main courses prices
slightly this year (1.4%) with the average
price of a main course now at £9.81, while
restaurant main courses prices dropped
1.2% year-on-year to £11.15. Quick service
outlets charged 2.5% less for a main
course, with a new average price of £5.87.
With the exception of pubs, many eating
out establishments raised the price
of starters. In hotels the average price
of a starter rose 15.6% to £7.57, while
restaurants raised starter prices 8.1% to
£5.09. In contrast pub starters became
12.5% cheaper this year at £4.74.
The cost of desserts increased across most
sectors. Hotels raised their dessert prices
10.6% year-on-year to £6.35. Restaurants
saw a more modest increase at 1.8% to
£4.96, while pubs kept prices broadly the
same at £4.40 (up 0.6%).
Night tube helps late restaurant
bookings
A month after the Night Tube began
in London on 19th August, Bookatable
– Europe’s largest restaurant booking
platform – reported that there had been
a 21% increase in late night, 10pm,
restaurant bookings on Friday and
Saturday nights in August 2016 compared
to August 2015.
With more Londoners looking for after
dark dining options on Friday and
Saturday, bookings between 9pm-11.59pm
have increased by 15%, and overall
Bookatable has seen a 13% uplift in
restaurant bookings on these days.