It’s February, and love is in the air! In honour of Valentine’s Day, we put out a survey to you, our wonderful diners to discover your thoughts on this heart-shaped holiday. 75% of respondents said they enjoy this holiday, with 42% seeing it as just a bit of fun, and 26% finding it a sweet day to celebrate someone you love. But how do we like to spend this romantic holiday?
One of the most classic expectations of a Valentine’s celebration involves dinner somewhere nice – but with just 59% of you saying you'd rather take celebrations outside, this doesn’t seem to be the case for everyone. When asked why you're staying home, most said they prefer a night in with their loved one, while others are trying to save money. There were also a few written in responses around the service, saying that because Valentines Day is so busy, people have found the service will not be as good as usual.
So what do we like to do to celebrate Valentine’s Day? In terms of where people go, the classic date of going somewhere special for dinner won by a large margin, with 70% of respondents choosing this option. This suggests that most people who celebrate Valentine's Day like it to be a proper treat, and with the next most popular answer being dinner at a place you'd usually go, food certainly seems to be a big part of the equation.
The way we spend our money over this holiday is varied, which makes sense given the ever-expensive Christmas period is still not far behind us. The cost of things has already been mentioned a couple of times, with a third of diners prioritising value for money in a venue, and some staying home in order to save money. When we do spend money, it brings up a real mix of spending attitudes, as shown in the pie chart. Almost 25% would be willing to spend over £60, but similarly, almost 25% would look to spend between £30-£40 in total. When asked if you'd also be buying gifts, the majority of you said no, with most saying that just the date is enough. Whereas, some of you said you won’t be doing anything at all. Respondents who said yes to purchasing a gift said that they wouldn’t be looking to spend much money, but only 8% of you, would splash out on a gift for your partner.
In contrast to our Christmas Party survey, most of you (67%) prefer to order off the normal menu for Valentine's, as opposed to a set menu. When it came to what was most important when choosing something to do for Valentine's Day, our diners were evenly split – 36% prioritise a romantic vibe to the location, 33% are looking for the best value for money, and 31% want something fun. This helps us to see how Valentine's Day means something slightly different to people, and in equal measures – some want pure romance, some want fun, and some just want a nice treat that won’t break the bank. Along with wanting to order more off the normal menu as well, it feels like people are more likely to tailor things to themselves when it comes to Valentine's.
Overall, it seems that many of you will be trying to treat yourselves this Valentines Day, but the vibe and the value for money is particularly important at this time of year. The romantic nature of the day means personalisation to a certain degree is important, as many of you want to tailor things in order for it to be special for the person or people you're celebrating with.
