By Dave Hunter
A cornerstone of the university social calendar – and a great big boost to venues close to universities to boot – Freshers Week may not be quite as wild as it once was, but there’s still plenty life in the occasion for those operators that get their offer right.
In contrast to the younger consumers of decades past, contemporary students are seen as a much more reserved bunch, but trade and drinks company representatives said students are still very much socialising, albeit a little differently than pre-pandemic.
“Over the years, Freshers has evolved, moving from a high-volume drinking occasion to one that includes broader social, wellbeing and community-focused experiences in line with younger consumers’ preferences,” said Kenny Gray, on-trade sales director for Scotland and Northern Ireland at Tennent’s and Magners parent company C&C Group.
“As a result, venues need to be thinking about how best they can engage with students both during Freshers Week and throughout the academic calendar.”
A big part of that evolution has been the growing importance of ‘experience’-based occasions rather than solely visiting venues for food and drink.
“Since the pandemic, 18-to-25-year-olds have become more intentional in how they engage with hospitality venues,” said Gray.
“While they remain highly active users of pubs, bars and restaurants, they are increasingly seeking experiences, social connection and quality over volume.”
That chimed with two different venue general managers from Signature Pubs – Chloe Morton at The Paramount in Aberdeen and Paul Paxton at Copper Blossom in Edinburgh – who both said the last decade has brought a ‘cultural change’ in how students interact with venues.
“I think new students want to mingle in other ways than just going to a club,” said Paxton.
“The old Freshers traditions were primarily based around going out drinking and partying; as we evolve now there’s a lot more emphasis on signing up to societies / sports clubs and finding your core social group this way.”
“Freshers has evolved from high-volume drinking to including broader experiences.”
Morton agreed, noting that university societies account for a lot of the new faces seen at The Paramount every year.
“Joining a society gives you more than just a night out, it gives you a sense of belonging to a group of people with mutual interests and more opportunities to socialise,” she said.
“We offer sponsorship for a selection of society teams which involves spending a lot of time with the societies, getting to know them and removing the stigma that the relationship must be transactional.
“It’s a huge swing from how things were pre-pandemic.”
That was backed up by Craig Chapman, head of brand at Global Brands, who said it’s “important for venues to consider things like quiz nights, themed events, live music and society socials that help attract students to their venue, allowing them to meet new people in more engaging environments”.
Despite the changing nature of the customer base, both Signature GMs said that Freshers Week continues to be a huge event for their venues, with Morton describing it as ‘one of the busiest trading periods of the year for us’.
In terms of drinks, vodka was agreed to be the biggest seller in both Aberdeen and Edinburgh (although Paramount’s secret Charlie Sheen shot is said to outperform every other shot the bar sells) with drinks including vodka, blackcurrant and lime and vodka, soda and lime big sellers with the student crowd.
However, both managers noted an increase in tequila sales, with Paxton saying: “I think the stigma around tequila is disappearing fast – tequila, soda, lime rules the roost.”
More broadly, Gray at C&C Group said stocking “a mix of alcohol drinks, no and low alcohol options as well as drinks at different value propositions will help venues appeal to varied student needs”.
Citing research by YouGov, he said cider is the top choice for 19% of Gen Z drinkers, while lager – both mainstream and craft as well as sweeter products such as fruit beers – could also prove popular with students.
There’s also the old favourite of the younger drinker: the RTD.
Gray said RTD brands will likely be another ‘sought-after choice’ for students – something that was, unsurprisingly, supported wholeheartedly by VK and Hooch parent company Global Brands.
Craig Chapman, head of brand at Global Brands, said fruit RTDs ‘continue to resonate strongly with younger consumers’ and stressed that students will want ‘products that reflect the occasion’.
And the more moderate Gen Z will want access to quality low and no-alcohol products.
“To win with students, venues need to be thinking about their complete range and ensuring they have low-alcohol and alcohol-free offerings which are now very much an expected part of any drinks menu,” said Gray.
“Stocking no and low alcohol options from well-known brands will help students easily recognise these options on the bar and will appeal to those still looking to enjoy their favourite alcohol brands.”
