EatingOut
20 | Hospitality Today | Christmas 2016 / January 2017
Trends & News
Eating out grows - averaging twice a week
A new study by OpenTable shows British diners are eating out more than ever - on average twice a week , with almost a third ( 29 %) saying that dining out is better value than making meals from scratch at home .
54 % say the amount they dine out has increased over the past five years , with 37 % admitting they did so more in 2016 than 2015 . Reasons include 35 % saying it ’ s easier than cooking at home and 30 % saying it ’ s for variety .
Almost 90 % of Brits admit they will always opt for the set menu if provided by a restaurant , while 69 % use discount vouchers / promotional offers when eating out , and 27 % will only dine out at restaurants that offer promotions .
Diners ‘ want to see hygiene ratings ’
98 % of consumers want the law changed to make all restaurants in England publicly display their Food Standards Agency ( FSA ) Food Hygiene Ratings , according to new research by food safety company Checkit . Currently , ratings must be displayed in Wales and Northern Ireland , but in England it is not compulsory .
92 % of diners say displaying these ‘ scores on the doors ’ will make eating out safer by encouraging restaurants and other businesses to improve their standards . The evidence would seem to support this : since it has been mandatory for restaurants in Wales to display their food hygiene score , the percentage of food businesses with a top rating of 5 has increased from 45 % to 63 %.
The research also found that consumers take the food hygiene rating into account when choosing where to eat . 91 % said they ’ d always or often choose to eat somewhere with the highest ratings of 4 or 5 . Previous research by Chekit found that 61 % of consumers won ’ t eat anywhere with rating of 2 or below .