Menu Flavours - UK - February 2016

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Topics covered in this report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Consumer budgets and spending
The National Living Wage comes into force in 2016
Britain’s ageing population
2016 events which could influence menu flavours
Flavour trends
Vegetables
Healthy eating
Mexican cuisine
Snacking and handheld ethnic street food
Dish and ingredient specialists
The consumer
Frequency of eating out
Figure 1: Frequency of eating out, November 2015
Interest in cuisine types
Figure 2: Interest in cuisine types, November 2015
Interest in flavour types
Figure 3: Interest in types of flavours, November 2015
Menu deterrents
Figure 4: Menu deterrents, November 2015
Attitudes towards eating out
Figure 5: Attitudes towards eating out, November 2015
Qualities deemed important for meal occasions
Figure 6: Correspondence analysis – Qualities deemed important for selected meal occasions, November 2015
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Rising consumer expectations
The facts
The implications
Harnessing the rise of the ‘everyday foodie’
The facts
The implications
Driving Americana trend forward in 2016
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Consumer budgets and spending
The National Living Wage comes into force in 2016
2016 events which could influence menu flavours
Ageing population to boost British but hit dining out frequency
Vegetables are a rising star on dinner plates
Elevating the taste perception of vegetables
Spiralised vegetables
Healthy eating trends
Protein
‘Clean’, natural and fresh product labels
Mexican cuisine
Snacking and handheld ethnic street food
Dish and ingredient specialists
MARKET DRIVERS
Consumer budgets and spending
The National Living Wage comes into force in 2016
2016 events expected to influence flavour trends
Ageing population could boost demand for British cuisine but hit frequency of eating out
Figure 7: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2010-20
FLAVOUR TRENDS
Ramped-up veggies
Vegetables get fashionable
Benefits of vegetables on the menu
Elevating the taste perception of vegetables
Vegetable dishes borrow from ethnic cuisines
Spiralised vegetables
Navigating the fickle demand for healthy eating
Focus on choice
Protein
Focusing on what’s not in the dish
Dairy alternatives
‘Clean’, natural and fresh product labels
Mexican cuisine
Enduring interest
Soft tacos
Dish and ingredient specialists
Snacking and handheld ethnic street food
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
A fifth of adults eat out once a week or more
Mainstream ethnic cuisines still hold strong interest
Interest in niche cuisines
American cuisine expected to see a more regional focus
A third of diners are ‘foodies’
Encouraging peer-to-peer recommendations
Spiciness is still a hot trend
Healthy dining considerations
Important qualities differ by meal occasion
FREQUENCY OF EATING OUT
A fifth of adults eat out once a week or more
Figure 8: Frequency of eating out, November 2015
Fast casual concepts on the rise
Chasing additional meal occasions to encourage more frequent visits
INTEREST IN CUISINE TYPES
Mainstream ethnic cuisines still hold strong interest
Lesser-known ethnic cuisines appeal
Figure 9: Interest in cuisine types, November 2015
Half of diners would like to see more British cuisine on menus
Mediterranean movers and shakers
Regional American can offer standout
INTEREST IN FLAVOUR TYPES
Smoky flavours garner the most interest
Barbecue, ‘fired’ and ‘charred’
Adding depth of flavour to vegetable dishes through charring
Smoky flavours through ingredients
Figure 10: Interest in types of flavours, November 2015
Savoury flavours are also in demand, particularly by older diners
Sweet flavours appeal the most to younger diners
Spicy is still a hot trend
Sour flavours are a niche interest
MENU DETERRENTS
Spiciness: an enticement and a deterrent
Communication and flexibility
Figure 11: Menu deterrents, November 2015
Health is a common consideration
Calorie labels are rarely a turn-off
‘Freshness’ can help operators navigate concerns around health and value for money
ATTITUDES TOWARDS EATING OUT
A third of diners are ‘foodies’
Scope for sides to cater to novelty seekers
Foodies drive growth of street food markets
Street food goes mainstream
Figure 12: Attitudes towards eating out, November 2015
Encouraging peer-to-peer recommendations
Exploring social media
Delivering on the visual
Tie-ups with vloggers and bloggers
Guiding choice – Descriptions on menus
QUALITIES DEEMED MOST IMPORTANT FOR SELECTED MEAL OCCASIONS
Breakfast: traditional, filling, convenient, healthy
Figure 13: Correspondence analysis – Qualities deemed most important for selected meal occasions, November 2015
Figure 14: Qualities deemed most important for selected meal occasions, November 2015
Lunch: healthy, filling, convenient
Dinner: exciting, indulgent, adventurous
Portable snack demand
Correspondence analysis – Methodology
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Data sources
Abbreviations
Consumer research