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HEREFORDSHIRE diners were happy to pick up the tab last week, as restaurant spending increased when dinners were allowed inside.
Banking firm Revolut analyzed data from its 9,000 customers in Herefordshire in the seven days leading up to May 23, as they sat down in restaurants and cafes for the first time this year.
Customers spent 50% more in this period than the week before when only alfresco dining was allowed, with a bill totaling £ 453.19.
However, spending was still 13% lower than a normal week in February of last year before the start of the pandemic.
Spending at restaurants and cafes across Britain fell more sharply, by 41%.
Despite the reopening, many establishments will not be able to have a full house before June 21, when all legal limits on social contacts must be lifted in England.
However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was too early to say whether the easing of all restrictions would continue as planned.
The past week also saw the reopening of many venues for indoor entertainment and culture, including museums, theaters and cinemas – though they too are operating at reduced capacity.
The UK Cinema Association said the opening weekend was the first to register more than a million admissions since March 2020.
Phil Clapp, managing director, said: ‘Only around three-quarters of UK cinema venues are now open with many smaller venues not being able to do so in a sustainable manner given the limitations as distancing requirements social impose on the available capacity.
“The extraordinary number of sold-out screenings reported over the past weekend make it clear that the sooner these restrictions can be safely relaxed, the sooner a full recovery of the industry can occur.”
Revolut data shows spending on cultural activities such as trips to the movies between May 17 and 23 was 68% lower than a normal week before the pandemic in Britain.
Spending in Herefordshire fell 57%, with men aged 25 to 34 being the region’s biggest spenders.
Overall, residents of Herefordshire spent slightly more on all activities during this period than the week before, including a 26% increase in transport spending.
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