Seven in ten UK adults buy food and drink from leisure venues, signalling the significant role that catering plays in servicing customers and the opportunities for driving secondary spend as a way to increase revenue.

Consumers have been cautious when it comes to spending on leisure venue catering over the last few years, with discounts being an attractive proposition to coax them out of their caution. With consumer confidence on the rise and consumer spending forecast to grow at a greater rate over 2013-18 than 2008-13, operators may, for example, look to more innovative menus to prompt purchase without just relying on discounts which can damage margins.

Placing food and drink as a significant part of the overall leisure experience can help to add a sense of excitement to proceedings, potentially allaying perceptions among the 61% of adults who believe the food and drink at leisure venues is overpriced.

Mintel defines leisure venue catering as being any food- and drink-based (including alcoholic drinks) catering offer at specific leisure venues. Catering facilities might include kiosks, hatches, catering units, refreshment stands, bars, cafés and self-service or full-service restaurants.

Within the confines of this report, Mintel defines leisure venues as licensed bingo clubs, cinemas, historic buildings, museums and art galleries, nightclubs and discotheques, tenpin bowling centres, theme parks, theatres and zoos and wildlife parks.

Leisure venues that are wholly or mainly catering-oriented, such as gastropubs and restaurants, are excluded from this report, as are sports venues.

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices unless otherwise stated.

Market sizes at constant 2013 prices are devised using Mintel’s foodservice deflator.

Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland.