End of the boozy Christmas do? Alcohol ‘becoming less important’ at work parties | UK News

Fancy swapping a bellini for a blackcurrant juice? Many are. 

Although, with the boom in the alcohol-free drinks market, thankfully there are more options available.

No-secco, no and low-alcohol beers are everywhere. It means venues are adapting to accommodate a shifting culture, and so are employers.

For many, the Christmas and New Year parties and celebrations are looking rather different as activity-driven venues and experiences become a compelling choice.

Crazy golf venue Swingers is one such place. Around 5% of all their Christmas bookings are requesting that booze take a backseat.

Matt Grech-Smith, co-founder of the international mini-golf venue, says the trend has been growing over the past few years.

“We’ve seen Christmas bookings where alcohol is seeming less important on the increase since the pandemic,” he says.

“It’s definitely a trend that we’re seeing – away from alcohol and towards more teetotal or low alcohol.”

Mr Grech-Smith adds: “I think we’re in a changing world these days, where companies are coming in and they want to get their teams together, and perhaps they’re not all in the office at the same time anymore.

“Working from home has really changed that office dynamic, so it’s much more important that teams get together.

“But we’re seeing them sometimes tell us that they can’t base all of their activity around alcohol.”

“Coming somewhere like here, where there’s an activity and a reason to have fun, and some shared experience to get behind, that’s really important to people,” adds the mini-golf boss.

“So there’s definitely a sense people are reprioritising alcohol and the importance of it in their Christmas events.”

Data from charity Drinkaware reveals 54% of 18-34-year-olds say they are likely to drink more “low or no alcohol” drinks over the festive period compared with all adults.

It comes as the British Beer and Pub Association says more than 120 million pints of no and low-alcohol beers were drunk across the UK in 2023.

The association estimates sales could rise by a further 20 million by the end of 2024.

Student union goes ‘dry’

It’s data like the above – and their own similar findings – that led to the University of Bradford’s main student bar going dry.

We went for a tour around the new space; comfy chairs, arcade games and a cafe selling bubble tea have replaced what used to be a bar and club.

Aleem Bashir, chief executive of the student union, says: “We noticed the sales were going down and students were just demanding other things.

“So the habits have changed. Students have two or three different jobs, they’re overall reducing their alcohol consumption.

“Generation Z are much more health conscious as well, so there is a shift we’re seeing away from alcohol.”

Student leader and sabbatical officer Tillie Evans echoes this, telling Sky News: “Young people can’t necessarily afford to drink anymore.

“I think when I was a student, I was also working, and I worked two jobs about 20 hours a week to try and be able to afford to live.

“And once you’re doing that on top of all your case studies and things like that, you just don’t have the time or the finances to be able to spend whatever you want on drinking.

“So I think more people are turning away from that. And especially with 9am lectures, you don’t want to get too heavily drunk the night before.”

Whether it’s a more conscious generation or just a yearning for a new type of celebration, employers appear to be shopping around for a different type of party.