News

As restaurants gear up for the party season, new research reveals that some of the earliest to get the party started are Saga Members, who typically socialise four times to celebrate Christmas with friends and family on the run up to the big day.  Women are much more likely to begin the festivities in the first half of December (40%) than men (27%) who typically don’t start their celebrations (like their shopping) until the week before Christmas.

The research carried out by Populus for Saga, surveying 11,687 respondents, all aged 50+ found that those in London and the West Midlands celebrated more than other areas of the country, typically five times each in the run up to Christmas.

Over 40% of those surveyed said they eat out with friends and family at restaurants in December and they typically spend £30 each time they eat out during the festive period, which results in a total overall spend of more than £1.1bn, which is encouraging news for the UK hospitality industry.  Saga Members are frequent visitors to chain restaurants, with a real preference for English, Italian or Indian cuisine.  As with all things they place a big emphasis on the quality of the restaurants they visit, poor quality food and service will certainly put them off a repeat visit.

As well as eating out to get into the Christmas spirit 42% say they entertain at home, 37% attend Christmas carol concerts and a third visit Christmas markets to buy gifts for friends and family.

Jeff Baker, Director of Membership at Saga said, “Christmas is clearly the time to be merry and for our members, celebrating with friends and family is one of the things that brings them the most joy at Christmas. And it’s not just about getting together, as most choose to eat out to take the stress out of the occasion, meaning there is much more time to have fun and enjoy each other’s company whilst also bringing a festive boom to local restaurants.”

“Saga’s new Dining Possibilities scheme helps take the sting out of the cost of making memories with friends and family. With a wide range of offers, ranging from a free bottle of wine at Carluccio’s, 25% off your bill at Bella Italia and Café Rouge, and a 30% off at Beefeater and Table Table, there really is something to appeal whoever our members are eating out with!”

Exclusively for Saga Members, Saga’s Dining Possibilities offer a variety of exciting new dining offers at over 1,100 restaurants, as part of its membership programme - Saga Possibilities. From homely inns to buzzing brasseries, Dining Possibilities is a money-saving menu of quality culinary experiences.  The wide range of eateries available to Saga Members include: Bella Italia, Café Rouge, La Tasca, Cote Brasserie and Carluccio’s and offers discounts such as 30% off the total food bill. Saga Members can benefit from the superb savings available each and every time they dine out.

ENDS