How the ‘day out’ is the new night out with punters drunk at lunch and back home by 8pm

For many it is a rare treat reserved for holidays and special occasions.

But drinking during the day is becoming a more regular habit for some, replacing the traditional big night out, according to a pub group’s boss.

Midday drinking has grown in popularity as many younger people prefer to be tucked up in bed rather than experiencing a raucous night out.

The trend is particularly evident on Saturdays, when daytime ‘bottomless brunches’ are taking the place of a night on the tiles.

David McDowall, chief executive of Stonegate, which has more than 4,000 pubs and bars, said: ‘At Slug & Lettuce in particular, what used to be our busiest hour – 9pm to 10pm on a Saturday – is now 3pm to 4pm.

‘The day out starts with lunch or brunch, then drinks or cocktails,’ he told the Sunday Times.

‘By the time 8pm comes around, it is time to head home.’

But that’s not the only change to how people celebrate, with younger customers now asking for more low or non-alcoholic drinks, with non-alcoholic versions of drinks accounting for two per cent of beer sales. 

David McDowall, chief executive of Stonegate, which has more than 4,000 pubs and bars, said: ‘At Slug & Lettuce in particular, what used to be our busiest hour – 9pm to 10pm on a Saturday – is now 3pm to 4pm’

People now favour a day out with activities instead of a night in a club (Pictured: An empty nightclub in Newcastle upon Tyne)

It mirrors a similar trend in mainland Europe, with France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain leading the way for non-alcoholic or low alcohol variant purchases. 

In the Netherlands, low or no-alcohol beers make up 11 per cent of sales, nine per cent in France and seven per cent in Germany. In Spain, 15 per cent of sales are made up of non or low alcoholic beverages. 

And from this demand for non or low alcohol varieties, a new trend has emerged: zebra-striping. 

Also known as zebra-ing, the trend involves alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, for those who don’t want to forgo alcohol on their night out. 

Consultancy KAM Insights found one in four people regularly use zebra-striping, and 36 per cent of drinkers pace themselves by having soft drinks between their alcoholic beverages. 

Bottomless brunches are also replacing the infamous ‘happy hour’ drinking. 

This, and ‘active socialising’, which means people take part in an activity while also drinking rather than sitting and chatting in the pub, means that more people are going out earlier in the day. 

‘Over the last 18 months, there have been too many data points suggesting that people are socialising differently to ignore it,’ Mr McDowall added. 

‘The types of businesses that we run have to evolve and be relevant.’