Mintel last examined the ethnic takeaway market back in 2002 and has covered some of the ethnic foods within its emerging markets report however it is a mark of how this sector has developed that the ethnic restaurant and takeaway market is being looked at in its entirety.

At the heart of this market is Chinese and Indian cuisine, which formed the basis of the first cultural shift in eating for the UK consumer as long ago as the 1960’s. Although these two highly popular ethnic foods have ridden the wave of the expanding eating out culture they have done little to challenge the rapidly expanding levels of competition.

The long established familiarity and enjoyment of Chinese and Indian food has opened the doors for more diversity within the sector with consumers willing to try the new and the different. To a large degree it has remained an area requiring specialist knowledge relying heavily on staff with ethnic cultural roots. This is in part why for the large part it has remained a sector characterised by a large number of independents and family owned businesses.

The popularity of ethnic food is now bringing some challenges to this model and there are now emerging a number of fledgling chains within specific sectors of the market.

Ethnic food presents something of a dichotomy; on the one hand challenging with its high level of spice and often unusual ingredients, yet at the same time Chinese and Indian food has been established in the UK market for over 40 years and has shaped and adapted to the British palette. It is this relationship that is explored in more detail in this report to determine how the market is developing and where the opportunities lie.