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A Passion for Food – Eating Out in the UK
Historically the vast majority of food in the Western world has been cooked and consumed in the home. Exceptions related to travellers who ate away from home out of necessity. It is only since the Industrial Revolution that dining out in restaurants became established in its own right. The trend started in France as illustrated by the use of many words of French origin – chef (chef de cuisine), cover charge (couvert), hors d’oeuvres, menu and café.
The popularity of eating out has increased considerably in the last decade with an estimate of over 30% of expenditure on food being spent on eating out.
Over the years, the types of food available has increased with restaurants offering a wide range of options. Whilst fish and chips are still the nation’s favourite fast food with over 300 million meals served in 1999, Indian cuisine is officially the UK’s favourite food. The Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs estimates that there are around 10,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.
The second most popular type of ethnic food in the UK is Chinese with other options including Thai, Greek, Caribbean, Lebanese, Turkish and Indonesian lagging some considerable way behind.
The restaurant market is very fragmented with most establishments targeting a specific group of customers. There is fast food for people in a hurry or just wanting to take on “fuel”, casual dining which is ideal for friends or family eating out on a frequent basis and the top end restaurants for special occasions.
For a time, it seemed as if casual dining would become the norm but recent TV shows by celebrity chefs have played a major role in increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the type of food created by top chefs. Not only has this phenomenon provided additional business for the more expensive end of the market, it has also played a significant role in heightening the interest of diners in the quality of food which they are served.
This emphasis on quality has been reflected in an increase in the number of restaurants offering organic produce. A fine example of such a restaurant is the Igu Bar and Ethical Eatery in Edinburgh which gives diners the opportunity to sample a menu of exclusively wild, organic and local produce with a contemporary Scottish twist. Iglu has picked up a host of awards including the Scottish Chef Awards 2006.
Diners are also increasingly looking for healthy options on menus. When eating out was, for most people, a relatively rare occurrence indulging meals with a high fat, salt and calorie content was not usually seen as an issue. As people eat out more frequently, some restaurants are responding to the demand for healthy or low calorie options. The Rajmoni Indian Restaurant in Bristol has an entire page on its menu devoted to people who are looking for healthy and lower calorie options.
Many of the most popular restaurants are full to capacity at the weekend and on special occasions such as Valentines Day or Mothering Sunday. Booking to secure your table can be essential, Some restaurants, however, are now looking to meet the needs of diners who make an impulse decision to eat out and to increase the number of customers which they can serve during a day by operating on a “walk-in” basis with no opportunity to book.
© Local Service Guide Limited 2006
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The popularity of eating out has increased considerably in the last decade with an estimate of over 30% of expenditure on food being spent on eating out.
Over the years, the types of food available has increased with restaurants offering a wide range of options. Whilst fish and chips are still the nation’s favourite fast food with over 300 million meals served in 1999, Indian cuisine is officially the UK’s favourite food. The Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs estimates that there are around 10,000 Indian restaurants in the UK.
The second most popular type of ethnic food in the UK is Chinese with other options including Thai, Greek, Caribbean, Lebanese, Turkish and Indonesian lagging some considerable way behind.
The restaurant market is very fragmented with most establishments targeting a specific group of customers. There is fast food for people in a hurry or just wanting to take on “fuel”, casual dining which is ideal for friends or family eating out on a frequent basis and the top end restaurants for special occasions.
For a time, it seemed as if casual dining would become the norm but recent TV shows by celebrity chefs have played a major role in increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the type of food created by top chefs. Not only has this phenomenon provided additional business for the more expensive end of the market, it has also played a significant role in heightening the interest of diners in the quality of food which they are served.
This emphasis on quality has been reflected in an increase in the number of restaurants offering organic produce. A fine example of such a restaurant is the Igu Bar and Ethical Eatery in Edinburgh which gives diners the opportunity to sample a menu of exclusively wild, organic and local produce with a contemporary Scottish twist. Iglu has picked up a host of awards including the Scottish Chef Awards 2006.
Diners are also increasingly looking for healthy options on menus. When eating out was, for most people, a relatively rare occurrence indulging meals with a high fat, salt and calorie content was not usually seen as an issue. As people eat out more frequently, some restaurants are responding to the demand for healthy or low calorie options. The Rajmoni Indian Restaurant in Bristol has an entire page on its menu devoted to people who are looking for healthy and lower calorie options.
Many of the most popular restaurants are full to capacity at the weekend and on special occasions such as Valentines Day or Mothering Sunday. Booking to secure your table can be essential, Some restaurants, however, are now looking to meet the needs of diners who make an impulse decision to eat out and to increase the number of customers which they can serve during a day by operating on a “walk-in” basis with no opportunity to book.
© Local Service Guide Limited 2006