Almost three quarters (73%) of Brits say they enjoy going to a local pub during the festive season, according to research from Greene King reconfirming it as a key location to celebrate Yuletide festivities.
The research, which questioned almost 1,000 consumers across the UK just before Christmas, revealed Christmas Eve is a more popular time to visit the pub than New Year’s Eve, with 44% of consumers planning to visit on Christmas Eve compared to 34% on New Year’s Eve.
The results also showed that three quarters of respondents (76%) agreed that the Great British pub plays an important role during Christmas, highlighting the appeal of the pub at what is a traditionally busy time for the industry.
Over 70% (72%) of those surveyed went as far as to say going to the pub is a tradition and 45% of the respondents said they are likely to visit the pub more often during the festive period than they would during a regular two-week period.
The ambience of the pub remains important to customers. When respondents were asked about aspects of the pub that are important to them during the festive period, 57% cited festive decorations, ahead of 55% of respondents saying the festive food menu.
Rooney Anand, chief executive officer at Greene King, said, “For many, the pub is the number one choice of venue to celebrate the Christmas period, signifying important role of the pub in the heart of local communities.'
He added that Greene King had stocked up more than one million crackers, and four million Brussels sprouts, plus plenty of Prosecco.