HEREFORDSHIRE diners were happy to collect the bill last week as restaurant expenses increased when diners were allowed inside.
Revolut banking firm analyzed data from its 9,000 Herefordshire customers in the seven days leading up to May 23rd when they settled down in restaurants and cafes for the first time this year.
During this period, guests spent 50% more than the previous week when only outdoor dining was allowed. One bill was a whopping £ 453.19.
However, spending was still 13% below a normal week in February of last year before the pandemic started.
Spending on restaurants and cafes across the UK declined more than 41%.
Despite reopening, many facilities will not have a full house until June 21st, when all legal restrictions on social contact in England are to be lifted.
However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was too early to say whether the easing of all restrictions will continue as planned.
In the past week, many indoor entertainment and cultural venues have also reopened, including museums, theaters, and cinemas – although these too are operating at reduced capacity.
The UK Cinema Association said the opening weekend was the first to record more than a million viewers since March 2020.
Phil Clapp, Chairman of the Board, said: “Only about three-quarters of UK cinema locations are now open and many smaller locations are unable to do so given the limits that social distancing requirements place on available capacity.”
“The extraordinary number of sold-out screenings reported this past weekend makes it clear that the sooner these restrictions can be safely relaxed, the faster the sector can fully recover.”
Revolut data shows that spending on cultural activities such as cinema trips between May 17-23 was 68% less than a normal pre-pandemic week in the UK.
In Herefordshire, spending fell by 57%, with men aged 25 to 34 making the largest spending in the region.
Overall, Herefordshire residents spent slightly more on all activities during this period than the previous week, including a 26% increase in transportation spending.