LASTMINUTE.COM BRINGS THE HEAT BACK TO UK PUB GARDENS
As the UK braces for another wet and windy winter, lastminute.com is reminding us what we’re missing, by quite literally turning up the heat.
Working with Ellie Taylor, winter sun advocate, lastminute.com is bringing the heat back to the UK and showing that winter doesn’t have to mean hibernation. Yes, the days of sitting under the evening sun in a pub garden pint in hand feel like a distant memory, but what if we could revive the pub garden back to its glorious summer days? All hope of enjoying warmer days isn’t lost when the sun goes down, it’s just waiting for those savvy enough to grab a last-minute beach escape.
lastminute.com data even shows that over half of Brits (51%) are jet setting on their winter getaways within 6 weeks of booking. When it comes to that winter break, only 7% are booking 7 days before flying out compared to 20% booking within 7 days for a summer holiday. Proving that while our weather may be unpredictable, our craving for winter sunshine is anything but.
So to celebrate how much us Brits love the sun, this November, departing from The Railway in Streatham, holiday hunters are encouraged to come and experience the heat they are missing. Popping up in the pub garden, from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th November, will be five specially designed lastminute.com pub garden heaters.
lastminute.com have revealed their annual list of the top 5 winter sun destinations, from the golden beaches of Malta to the glowing coastline of Lanzarote. Each of these brand-new heaters are set to the exact temperatures of the top destinations from 31°C in Dubai to 21°C in Malta. This is the ultimate try before you buy as sun seekers are encouraged to try out each winter destination’s temperature before booking that last minute beach getaway. It’s never too late to book and grab yourself some winter sun!
On each heater there is a specific QR code which will take heat seekers to special offers for the destination they are staying cosy under. Why shiver through another soggy pub garden pint when you could be sipping cocktails in 25°C sunshine?
And, when it comes to who are the ultimate sun-chasers, 70% of winter sun and beach holidays booked are for couples with their top three destinations being Lanzarote (71%), Tenerife (69%) and Dubai (69%)!
“We know Brits love a good pub garden, rain or shine,” said Zoe Fidler, Head of Brand at lastminute.com. “So we thought, why not bring a little slice of sunshine to them? By recreating the climates of our top winter sun destinations, we’re showing people exactly what they’re missing and hopefully reminding them that even if they think it’s too late, our fantastic winter sun deals mean there’s always time to grab an amazing escape this season.”
But for those willing to brave the cold to find the heat in The Railway beer garden, lastminute.com is giving the chance to win £1,500 to put towards a winter getaway for two, through their Instagram page. Running for 48hrs only from November 6th to 8th, share your perfect summer holiday caption, and turn your pint stop into a plane ticket, to start planning your own last-minute getaway.
Adding to the fun, Ellie Taylor said “I love winter sun! I’m married to an Aussie so I’ve had many Christmas days in Sydney. What a joy to swap sweating over turkey timings to sweating at the beach! The heaters feel exactly like stepping off a plane somewhere sunny, you know that open oven door feeling? Standing there, you can practically smell the sun cream and hear the waves.”
The Top 5 Winter Sun Destinations for 2025, according to lastminute.com, are:
Tenerife – 23℃
Malta – 21℃
Lanzarote – 24℃
Dubai – 31℃
Costa Blanca – 20℃
