About the market…

The market for eating out continues to enjoy good levels of growth and is projected to be worth £27.5 billion by the end of 2005, a rise of over 25% since 2000.

There has been a phenomenal rise in the interest and media coverage of issues relating to food and diets. This has particularly impacted on the fast food market, with McDonalds making significant changes to their menu in response to consumer opinion.

Despite new eating out styles and cuisine continuing to come to market there remains a core popularity embracing both traditional foods such as pub food and fish and chips and the older established ethnic cuisine like Indian and Chinese foods. Pub catering remains consistently the most popular eating out venue attracting a broad scope of consumers.

The climate where by burgeoning demand yielded wins for all no longer exists, with distinct parts of the eating-out market fairing differently. The factors determining what and where consumers eat-out are becoming more complex overlaid on a sector of the market that is consistently looking for change. Driven by consumer demand, this latter factor will keep the market evolving.

About Mintel’s research…

Pooling together the most innovative consumer research and latest market analysis, Mintel's new report offers you all the insight and inspiration you need for designing clever, creative and profitable marketing strategies. Use Mintel's research to:

Identify the common trends in the eating out food market

Discover consumers’ attitudes towards eating out, enabling you to tailor your business accordingly

Pin point market potential before your competitors

Find out how to best reach key audiences with the most effective marketing communications

Measure market forecasts and build realistic business models

Gain insight into future trends

Gather in-depth information about consumer target groups, including key demographics and media targeting information.

Intriguing findings include…

Nearly half of the surveyed consumers who had eaten out in the last 3 months, felt that the ambience was just as important as the food.

Those who eat out appear to be quite adventurous with 42% of them being willing and even wanting to try new dishes and different foods. However, high users of outlets that serve more traditional foods are more likely to be looking for familiar food.

70% of consumers aged 65 and over have eaten out in the last three months, illustrating eating out remains an important activity across the generations.