The all-Ireland foodservice market benefited during the ‘boom’ years of the Irish economy in which consumers with increased disposable incomes dined out regularly, leading to the market being valued at €7.2bn in 2008. However, the onset of the economic downturn saw consumers dining out less frequently and reducing their average spend per visit, actively seeking low-cost dining options, thus lowering the market value significantly year on year until 2012.
The year 2012 saw the market grow for the first year since the crash in 2008, with modest growth predicted in the coming years. With the spotlight being placed on origin of food, especially in the aftermath of the horsemeat scandal at the beginning of 2013, foodservice providers who are able to balance quality and cost are likely to attract out-of-home diners.
Key themes in the report
Which sector of the foodservice industry is performing best? – With a wide range of foodservice providers in Ireland offering a variety of different cuisines, which sector is proving most popular amongst Irish diners?
Are supermarket own-brand offers and promotional meal deals encouraging in-home consumption and stealing market share? – Is the increase in supermarket ‘dine-in’ promotions encouraging diners to stay at home, and how can foodservice providers compete?
Are food safety issues causing concern for diners and impacting the market? – Following the recent horsemeat scandal, which concerned both Irish and UK meat suppliers, is the foodservice industry doing enough to reassure diners that food is safe to eat out-of-home, and are consumers now paying more attention to the provenance of their food?
How are foodservice providers encouraging diners to dine in restaurants? – In a difficult economic climate, are foodservice providers promoting dining via price promotions, or is quality of food and dining experience more effective at enticing consumers to eat outside the home.
Are healthy eating concerns impacting on the market and what are food service providers doing to respond? - With Ireland and the UK having some of the highest obesity levels in Europe, and the Irish Minister for Health pressing to introduce calorie labelling in menus to help combat this, are food service providers ready and willing to make changes and cater for health-conscious consumers?
Definition
This report will examine the foodservice industry in Ireland primarily the commercial foodservice sector including restaurants, fast food outlets, coffee shops etc.
Although the institutional sector - pubs/bar and hotel dining is discussed, these sectors have not been examined in detail.
Full Service Restaurants (FSR) – Traditional, formal restaurant dining, often referred to as ‘white table cloth’ dining.
Casual dining – Characterised by restaurant dining in an informal atmosphere with table service, usually with no reservations required.
Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) – Traditionally fast food establishments including restaurants, takeaways and drive-through outlets.
On-the-go – Convenience sector including goods purchased from convenience stores, cafés and coffee shops.
Other reports of relevance:
Eating Out Review - UK, June 2013
Sandwiches and lunchtime foods – UK, November 2012
Grocery Retailing – Ireland, October 2012.
Ethnic Cuisine - Ireland, June 2011
Breakfast Goods – Ireland, - April 2011
‘Food to go’ opportunities for the lunchtime trade – Ireland, December 2010
Pubs – Ireland, October 2009
Data sources
In compiling this report, Mintel has gathered data from separate NI and RoI sources (eg NISRA and CSO). In some cases, therefore, it has not been possible to provide comparable data for each region.
For the purposes of this report:
IoI refers to the island of Ireland.
NI refers to Northern Ireland.
RoI refers to the Republic of Ireland.
Therefore, ‘Irish consumers’ refers to both NI and RoI consumers.
