Saturday nights used to be the time people let their hair down and headed out on the town for a few drinks. But “the night out has become the day out”, according to the boss of Britain’s biggest pub group.
David McDowall, chief executive of Stonegate, which boasts an estate of 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. By the time 8pm comes around, it is time to head home.”
Day drinking is one of a raft of new trends pubs are trying to embrace or instigate