UK Leisure Venue Catering Market Report 2025
Despite the UK's ongoing cost of living crisis, catering at leisure venues and events remains resilient, with many visitors still choosing to eat and drink on-site.
Despite the UK's ongoing cost of living crisis, catering at leisure venues and events remains resilient, with many visitors still choosing to eat and drink on-site.
Despite the UK’s ongoing cost of living crisis, catering at leisure venues and events remains resilient, with many visitors still choosing to eat and drink on-site. While rising costs have led to reduced visits over the past year, posing a threat to leisure venues catering, on-site dining and drinking remain popular among younger adults and families, holding potential to boost engagement and spend.
One key challenge for leisure venue catering is consumer dissatisfaction with pricing, with 19% of leisure venue/event food or drink buyers dissatisfied to some level. Implementing value-driven strategies that balance affordability with quality and fair pricing is essential for improving satisfaction and unlocking greater spending potential.
16-34 year olds’ interest in adventurous menu options, brand collaborations and convenient ordering solutions presents opportunities to increase spending and service satisfaction. Meanwhile, tapping into social motivations and household dynamics with tailored catering strategies, such as off-peak pricing or partnerships with food or drink brands that play on nostalgia, can help attract older adults – an often-overlooked demographic in leisure venues.
Redefine leisure venue catering through enhanced menu options, tech-driven efficiency and tailored group experiences, all while addressing price dissatisfaction.
Yogita Burke, Cross-category Research Analyst
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
This Report examines the UK market for leisure venue catering. Mintel’s consumer research assesses participation and interest in a selection of popular leisure venues and events, including the cinema, museum/art gallery, music event, historic venue, sporting event, theme park, zoo/wildlife park and competitive socialising.