The local fish and chip shop still ranks as Britain’s favourite place to eat, according to the latest research from Mintel.
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Indeed, in three months alone, as many as half of Britons visited one. This traditional fayre is closely followed in the popularity stakes by a meal down the local pub, another time-honoured British establishment, which attracts 46% of diners.
Chinese, sushi and noodle bar, restaurants and takeaways rank a close third at 45%, followed by pizza restaurants and takeaways, which entice some 35% of British diners. Surprisingly, this leaves the now almost ubiquitous Indian curry house languishing in fifth place, with only around three in ten (31%) having visited an Indian restaurant or takeaway during this time.
“Although the British are renowned for their penchant for Indian and Chinese takeaways, it is in fact the good old British chippy, which is considered a firm favourite amongst British diners today. The popularity of pubs and fish and chip shops just shows that there is still a real desire to eat British food. Pubs have been at the forefront of reviving and rejuvenating interest in British cuisine. Gastropubs, chain pubs and dedicated pub restaurants, which serve reasonably priced meals, have inherently transformed how the public view pub food today,” said Linda Haden, senior catering analyst at Mintel.
Despite the trend towards more traditional British eateries, it appears that the British palate is still the most diverse in Europe. Indeed, when it comes to trying ethnic dishes, the British are considerably more adventurous than their continental counterparts with as many as seven in ten (68%) Britons agreeing that they “like foreign food”. This compares to just 29% of Spaniards. The French (at 59%) and Germans (at 64%) also fail to match British interest.
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When it comes to choosing where to eat, British diners reject the food critics, in favour of word of mouth from family and friends. As many as 35% of adults feel the best restaurants they have ever eaten in were recommended by friends and family. Meanwhile, just 8% “trust” food guides and critics, these experts, seemingly, having little influence on Britain’s dining decisions.
A £25bn market and growing
By the end of this year Britain will have spent a staggering £25bn (US$48.3bn) on eating out, the vast majority of which (£21.9bn) will be spent in budget and mid-market establishments. The remaining £3.1bn will have been spent in premium restaurants.
There is little doubt that the trend towards eating out of home continues to boom. Although the share of food spending for the home (accounting for almost 70% of the total food market) exceeds that spent on eating out, growth in the eating out market continues to rise faster than in-home dining.
