New insight on consumer trends for Christmas 2022

To help hospitality businesses and wholesalers to prepare for the festive season, Premier Foods Foodservice has been delving into the minds of diners to find out their spending plans.

As expected, the economic climate will play a part in the decision making of consumers as 75.8% said they would reduce outgoing costs this Christmas. It’s not all doom and gloom for hospitality as 72.7% said they will still eat out at least once during December but 78.8% said cost would impact their decision when choosing where to dine.

Supporting chefs and marketers with their festive planning, the research has highlighted that the five most popular occasions to eat out during December are for a Christmas lunch with family (34%), work Christmas party (25.1%), Christmas night out with family (24%), Christmas Day lunch (16.5%) and a Christmas lunch out with friends (16.3%).

When it comes to menu choices 61.3% of consumers said they prefer to eat traditional dishes during December with a further 20.2% admitting they like tradition but with a twist. 18.5% want to try something new during December.

Other key takeaways that will help chefs to consider their purchasing and menu planning include: –

• 44.4% said the use of British suppliers was important to them when choosing where to dine out at Christmas.
• Value for money has never been more important as 28.3% said it will be their top consideration when choosing where to eat out next month.
• 49.1% admit they prefer to eat lighter options when dining for a Christmas work night out.
• 74.9% agreed that they are mindful of food waste when eating out of home.
• 63.8% revealed that they choose festive foods that remind them of their childhood Christmases.
• 45.4% said that they are more likely to choose a restaurant or pub that caters well for special diets.
• 55.2% agreed that eating out is one of the highlights of the festive period.

Sarah Robb, foodservice marketing manager at Premier Foods said: “Our chefs spend a huge amount of time supporting hospitality businesses with new recipes, products, advice and ideas so it’s vital we understand how consumers are thinking in these uncertain times. Whilst consumers have admitted they will be more cautious with spending, there’s still a huge appetite for eating out and the impact that food has on the festive celebrations. We hope chefs find this information valuable, along with our festive recipes and easy to use and convenient products that are designed to save chefs time and reduce waste.

Discover new recipes for your Christmas menus here.