Gen Zs are the biggest spenders.

Gen Zs are more willing to splurge on Christmas meals, with those ages 18 to 25 willing to spend up between £31 to £40 per meal excluding drinks, beyond most UK consumers’ budget of £21 to £30, according to a recent consumer survey by guest experience expert HGEM.

Older people at 66 age and up meanwhile want more budget-friendly meals of below £20.

The survey also revealed that consumers' top factor for choosing a Christmas venue is total cost. In contrast, last year, value for money was more important than meal quality, hinting at a return to basics for consumers desiring a decent meal without breaking the bank. The less important factors have not changed position since last year, and they are location, entertainment value and, finally, a new and exciting place.

In terms of how consumers find their Christmas venue – 68% of consumers would trust a recommendation, 64% would look to Google and 62% would consider a venue that’s tried and tested.

“Given how heavily ‘recommended’ and ‘tried and tested’ venues come into play for customers choosing Christmas venues - a good Net Promoter Score should be a primary focus for operators. The results suggest an increase in office-sponsored Christmas parties for 2023 at 47% up from 44% in 2022, which improves affordability for the customer,” Steven Pike, Managing Director at HGEM said.

In terms of dietary requirements, almost half (46%) of the consumers reported some kind of dietary restrictions, with the majority of those with restrictions being vegetarians (44%), followed by those on a gluten-free diet (19%) and vegans (19%). Whilst it may be practical to have the same menu offering for vegetarians and vegans, providing a dairy option (e.g. cheese) to dairy alternatives (e.g. vegan cheese) would likely increase customer satisfaction for vegetarians.