The British are eating out and ordering take-away food more than ever before, creating a boom time for UK restaurants and food chains.
According to a recent report by market analyst Mintel, increased affluence, changing lifestyles and ever-increasing dining choices have led to an explosion in eating out, with average weekly expenditure up 16% in only two years, from £16.10 to £18.60. This puts the annual average expenditure for eating out at £967. Restaurant spend has jumped by a third since 1998, with one in three people eating out at least once a week.
Despite a significant increase in spend in traditional restaurants over the past five years, take-away and fast-food outlets have benefited most. Consumers now spend twice as much on fast food than they did in 1998.