Summer 2022:

5 things we’ve learned…

Summer 2022: 5 things we've learned...

Look, we hate to be too quick to point out that summer is pretty much over. Especially when we know that British tenacity will ensure that barbecues are still lit well into October.

So with this caveat in mind, we asked around for the scoop from our partner venues, and pulled data insights from our giant super-computer (sort of) to put together some key takeaways from summer 2022.

1. Scorching Heat

Let’s get this one out of the way first. It was hot. As in yellow scorched earth and melting pavements hot. Whilst some flameproof souls still ventured out for lunch in the midday sun, the heatwaves this year had a massive impact on the way we dined and drank out.

During July’s record temperatures, lunchtime sales saw a 42% week-on-week decline in bars and restaurant spend. But this time was spent wisely resting up for a big night out, as last orders at 11pm were 3 times higher on average. Finally, it seems that Brits have embraced the siesta.

As a side note, hot temperatures had an interesting impact on what we chose to drink. In both July and August’s temperature spikes, Guinness orders were down 23% – with punters opting for a lighter lager to cool off in the evening.

2. Newsround

One figure will always be on every British punter’s mind. That is, how much a round is costing. And whether it’s due to the rising cost of a pint, or simply summer vibes loosening the purse strings – a round of drinks were up this summer slightly compared to the rest of the year.

In London, customers were spending on average £1 extra per order. In towns such as Milton Keynes, the increase was around 50p. However, cities up north such as Newcastle, Chester and Sheffield remained relatively unchanged in our data.

3. Orange mania

Yes, there’s song of the summer, film of the summer, smug Love Islanders – but the win we’re excited about announcing is what we ordered the most at the bar. As we’ve previously mentioned in our 2022 data insights, Aperol has gone from a holiday novelty to a bar staple. However, as the weather begins to cool – it’ll be interesting to see if it can retain its orange grip on pub goers.

But continental lagers are still the nation’s favourite, with Birra Moretti the most popular pint on OrderPay this summer. Newer international brands like Madri are also gaining popularity. This summer, it seems that we drank to match our Mediterranean climate.

4. Summer of Love

There’s a million reasons as to why we were in a great mood this summer. Whether you finally made it abroad, or simply enjoyed your back garden – our collective high spirits showed in the massive jump in tipping rates across the country.

Cities such as Liverpool saw an increase of around 30% more tips in venues. More venues than ever also crossed the 10% or more average tip mark.

It’s great to see that venue staff are being rewarded for their hard work. As we know manning a heaving beer garden, delivering quality table service and running a packed bar all at once can feel like spinning plates for teams. But this summer, we were at least on side to ensure venues get the most out of the holiday rush.

5. It’s all kicking off

It wasn’t just thermometers that broke records this summer, as there was an incredible victory for the Lionesses at this year’s Euro’s tournament. During the tense finale between England and Germany, there was a 42% boost to sales in pubs using OrderPay. Which meant we celebrated harder too, with last orders double versus the following week. When football comes home, we go out.

Other big sporting events like Wimbledon boosted Pimm’s sales to their yearly highest sales. But we’re just glad we could get drinks to the table without anyone missing the times we actually won.