Thanksgiving: American holiday generates British restaurant boost

British restaurants are gearing up for bumper Thanksgiving sales as data from OpenTable demonstrates a significant boost in people dining out to celebrate the holiday over the past five years.

The number of UK residents dining out over the period of the traditional American holiday has risen by 267 per cent since 2010.

The restaurant reservations website’s data also shows that over half of the 2,000 members of the British public who were surveyed feel that Thanksgiving should be a bank holiday in the UK, with 63 per cent saying that they would be tempted to dine out to celebrate the occasion.

Residents in Swansea were most likely to dine out with 78 per cent saying that they would, compared to 59 per cent in Edinburgh. Wolverhampton proved to be the city that most enjoyed Thanksgiving as 63 per cent of those surveyed from the area said that they would welcome it as a bank holiday, above the national average of 54 per cent.

Seventy-three per cent of survey respondents said that they enjoy Thanksgiving food, while a quarter of British women (24 per cent) would choose a Thanksgiving meal over a roast dinner compared to one fifth of men (20 per cent).

The research comes in the wake of restaurants and hotels around the country offering seasonal menus and celebratory deals to entice diners, with businesses such as Boneyard in Shorditch, West Thirty Six in Notting Hill and Soho’s Bó Drake and the Courthouse Hotel hosting events to encourage customers.