More than half of Scots are cutting back on dining out according to new data

Andriy Bezuglov - stock.adobe.co

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve spoken to friends and family about the rising cost of food in supermarkets. It’s not just because I am now officially middle aged, the price hikes are taking their toll on every age group and, as a result, fewer of us are going out for a drink or dinner according to new research.

Data from The Knowledge Bank, Scotland Food & Drink’s insight hub, has found that more than half of Scots (58%) say they are cutting back on meals and drinks in hospitality venues.

Sign up to our free Scran food and drink newsletter here

The research found that 39% of Scots are eating out at least once every two weeks, and that fewer than a third (29%) of us are going out for drinks every fortnight. And fewer than half (47%) of Scots say that they go to a bar, pub or restaurant less than once a month – down from 52% in December 2025.

The reason? More than three quarters of respondents (79%) say the cost of living is one of the country’s biggest concerns, followed closely by 72% who cite high food prices as a concern.

Inflation alongside domestic and global economic instability is contributing to an increase in Scots who describe themselves as ‘only just managing financially or going without essentials’ which rose from 13% to 17% between March and June this year.

The financial pressures are there, but habits are changing too with more of us eating and drinking out during the day and taking advantage of lunch and day-time promotions or deals.

Here’s hoping our kind-of-still-new prime minister can keep his word on easing our cost of living crisis so we can get back to our restaurants and bars more often.