Ethnic Food Among UK Consumers
November 23 2002
Latest Consumer Watch research from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) in the UK shows that Chinese food is the most popular ethnic food among British consumers.
Chinese food was eaten by 58% of consumers over the last 12 months as a main meal with Indian food next at 49%. Mexican, Thai and Japanese food have less widespread appeal, being eaten by 17%, 14% and 5% respectively in the last year.
Consumers still mainly eat these types of food at home, however they do not tend to prepare the meals themselves. In-home consumption of Chinese and Indian food is largely driven by takeaway purchases, while consumers are more likely to eat less popular cuisines in restaurants as a way to familiarise themselves with the type of food.
- 65% of consumers who ate Chinese food for their main meal in the last year had a takeaway and 15% ate in a restaurant. The expense of eating in a restaurant was given as a reason for ordering a takeaway.
- Only 20% of consumers of Chinese food typically prepared their meal at home, of which 3% typically chose ready meals. Some consumers believed it difficult to recreate authentic Chinese food as a ready meal, claiming consistency, taste and recipe were inferior to the foodservice offer.
- 41% of Indian food consumers typically bought a takeaway and 21% ate in a restaurant. 7% ate ready meals.
- 50% of Mexican food consumers prepared their meal at home, 25% cooking it from a combination of raw and pre-prepared ingredients. Mexican food appears to have gained greater appeal because of the fun aspect of preparation.
- Thai and Japanese foods were typically eaten out, 51% and 60% respectively.
Consumers aged over 65 were less likely to have eaten ethnic food, 72% had not eaten any of the above foods in the last year, and today's consumers are seen as more adventurous than previous generations. Londoners were more likely to have eaten emerging cuisines such as Thai or Japanese because of the higher concentration of restaurants offering food from around the world. Consumers in Scotland were least likely to have consumed ethnic food.
IGD's Consumer Watch research found that, to consumers, an authentic ethnic food is:
- Cooked by hand from scratch, in the traditional way by a native of the country where the food originates.
- Made using traditional recipes and fresh ingredients, rather than being manufactured.
- Cooked using the right equipment for example a wok or traditional oven.
- Eaten with the right utensils and crockery e.g. chopsticks.
- Comes with accompaniments - the extras served with a restaurant meal such as breads, crackers, dips and sauces are an important contributor to the authenticity of the experience.
IGD's research found that many consumers did not see ready meals as authentic ethnic food, rather as an 'English interpretation'. This poses a challenge for retailers.
According to Joanne Denney, Chief Executive IGD, 'It is not enough simply to label a product with the region of origin to communicate its authenticity. Retailers must also offer a combination of the factors cited by consumers such as cooking from scratch, using traditional methods and providing accompaniments, as well as developing recipes for ready meals that better replicate restaurant meals. Cross-merchandising all relevant ingredients, including beer or wine, as a total meal solution with easy to follow instructions will provide consumers with assistance and inspiration and respond to the desire to recreate the total restaurant experience at home.'
The research used a nationally representative sample of 1,000 consumers from across the UK and examined consumers' attitudes to ethnic food, traditionally defined by the food industry as 'food originating outside Western Europe, excluding USA and Greece'.
For further information, visit
www.igd.com
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
