Consumer finance experts estimate pub spend will add £447m to the economy between Monday 12 April - Thursday 15 April.
Cardiff is the best value for beer, with one pint costing £3.43
Birmingham is the best value for wine at £ 4.34 a glass
Average Brit can afford up to 13 pints (or 6 bottles of wine) on their first trip to the pub post lockdown Money.co.uk launches best savings calculator to help Brits save post lockdown
That tantalising first trip to the pub post-lockdown will see Brits splash out on up to 13 pints of beer or six bottles of wine each, according to new research.
With businesses due to start slowly opening their doors from Monday 12th April for outdoor use, hospitality spending is set to surge, as new research1 highlights Brits are set to spend 26% more than they would have done pre pandemic as pubs reopen.
The new research from money.co.uk has revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of over 18s are planning to hit the pub within the first six days of restrictions being lifted, and almost one in 10 on the very first day, even though it's a Monday.
The people planning to hit the pub in the first three days (16%) are also anticipating spending £52.48 each - adding up to £447m between them by Thursday 15th April.
But that £52.48 can buy you very different amounts of alcohol depending on where you are planning to drink, with the cost of both beer2 and wine3 varying heavily across the UK.
Londoners draw the short straw due to the average beer costing a staggering £5.19 - meaning just 10 pints can be bought for your £52. Across the border in Wales, drinkers in Cardiff will be able to afford a whopping 15 pints, thanks to the average beer cost being just £3.43 a pint.
When it comes to wine, the story is remarkably different. In Cardiff, the price of red wine shoots up to £13 a bottle, meaning the £52 spend could buy 4 bottles. But in Birmingham red costs just £6 a bottle on average - letting you get 8 bottles for your £52.
Here’s what you’ll be able to afford on your first trip to the pub, depending on where you live
Young people (18-24) were keenest to return to the pub, with a quarter (26%) planning their first pint within three days of pubs reopening. What's more, money.co.uk data reveals the average spend for 18-24 year olds is also set to be much higher than other age groups - at a massive £133.30 on the first day.
Older generations, it seems, are set to be more cautious, with only 15% of 35-44s heading to the pub on day one. On average, they'll spend £48.50 on their first trip, which drops to £35.13 for 45-54 and £22.86 for over 55s.
James Andrews, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, said: "Lockdown has been tough on many industries, but the hospitality sector has been hit particularly hard with restrictions chopping and changing across the country since the first national lockdown eased in June.
"It's promising to see that as restrictions begin to ease, people are planning on supporting their local businesses. With GDP falling 2.9% in January 2021, this support will be hugely important to the UK economy, and indeed to individual businesses who have had to navigate these uncertain times.
"The varying price of beer and wine across the country has always been a contentious issue for Brits. However, it goes without saying that just because you can afford to buy more in certain regions, it doesn't mean you should.
"No matter where you live, it's important to keep an eye on your finances as lockdown restrictions ease, so set yourself a budget beforehand to make sure the excitement of returning to your local doesn't result in a financial hangover on top of whatever lingering effects your first day back in the pub has on your head."
Money.co.uk launched its best savings calculator to help Brits work out how much they could save if they keep their spending at lockdown levels.
https://www.money.co.uk/guides/best-savings calculatorhttps://www.money.co.uk/guides/best-savings-calculator
Notes to editors
1 Findings based on a survey undertaken by money.co.uk of 2,000 people in March 2021
2 https://www.finder.com/uk/international-pint-price-map
3 https://eat-drink-sleep.com/2020/09/22/revealed-cost-of-wine-across-europe-and-uk-cities/
GDP stat: ONS Coronavirus and the impact on output in the UK economy: November 2020