A vast majority of Irish consumers claim to take a full responsibility for cooking or share it with someone else. Dishes created completely from scratch are prepared on numerous occasions throughout the week, while meals combining raw ingredients and prepared food have a wide appeal amongst Millennials who are likely to have lower culinary skills and cooking confidence.

Scratch cooking is popular mainly as consumers perceive it as a healthier and tastier option compared to ready meals. The popularity of meal preparation from scratch is driven by the overall enjoyment and passion for cooking as well as saving money, given that self-prepared meals are less expensive than many ready meals. Additionally, consumers show strong preferences towards having control over what goes into their food.

This Report covers attitudes to cooking and meal preparation amongst consumers on the IoI (island of Ireland). It evaluates the main drivers and trends affecting the market and influencing consumer behaviour. This Report draws on consumer research and examines cooking responsibility and frequency of meal preparation. Moreover, it investigates the reasons for cooking from scratch as well as cooking behaviours.

Please note that this Report examines only attitudes to cooking and meal preparation in-home and does not focus on meals outside the home (ie bought via foodservice). However, usage of takeaways is examined in terms of consumer research.

Please note that there is no Market Size and Forecast section for this Report. This is because it is not feasible to measure and quantify cooking attitudes and behaviours. Please refer to the other Mintel Reports of relevance for related information.