Archives for April, 2009
Eating out under more pressure as supermarket sector steps up ‘meal deal’ offers
Consumers are increasingly opting for supermarket ‘meal deals’ which typically offer a meal for two for £10 or under, rather than eating out in a restaurant, according to Horizons’ QuickBite research.
Some 13% of respondents to the survey, in which over 1,000 people were interviewed during two days last month, said that over the past two weeks they had opted to stay in with a supermarket meal deal rather than eating out.
The largest uptake of supermarket deals was in the 16-24 and 35-44 age groups, in line with the trend for young adults to be less inclined or have less time to cook meals from scratch and families with children who are often also time-poor. Men (15%) were also keener than women (11%) to spend their food pounds this way.
Supermarkets have responded to consumer reluctance to pay for food out of the home by offering a growing number of restaurant-style offers, some geared around traditional eating out occasions such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day. Marks & Spencer’s ‘dine in for two for £10’ promotion kicked off the genre, extended this Mother’s Day with a ‘dine in for four’ promotion and currently a lunchtime meal deal offering a choice of sandwich, crisps and a drink for £2.
Last month Sainsbury’s trumped its rivals by offering a ‘dine in for a fiver’ deal with a choice of three gourmet main courses for two, a side dish and a choice of two desserts. A similar promotion from Waitrose offered consumers a ‘dine in for two for £10’ deal including an ‘Indian meal deal’ with two curries from a choice of five, rice, an accompaniment and a four-pack of drink for £10.
This week Tesco went even cheaper with a meal for two from its Finest range including main course from a choice of five, side dish, dessert and wine for just £9.
The changing face of British menus: has sirloin steak lost its appeal for good?
Chicken breast has overtaken sirloin steak as the most frequently listed main course item on pub, restaurant and hotel menus, according to new research from Horizons. Our biannual Menurama research looks at the dishes listed on Britain’s restaurant, hotel and pub menus. The latest results clearly reveal the impact of higher costs and price-conscious consumers with last year’s most frequently listed main course menu items of sirloin steak, veggie burger, sausage and mash, fish and chips and rump steak being replaced by chicken breast, fish & chips, Sunday lunch and risotto (excluding pizza and burgers).
“Our findings demonstrate that establishments have altered their menus to include cheaper items in response to financial pressures. Premium ingredients have been dropped in favour of more economical dishes and we are seeing the emergence of more traditional British recipes such as meatballs and stews. Fish is also making a stronger appearance on British menus along with vegetable-based starters,” commented Horizons’ managing director Peter Backman. “Dishes such as fajitas, mixed grills and some pasta dishes have declined in popularity due to the rising cost of raw ingredients and because operators are continuing to evolve their menus in an effort to give consumers something different, something that they wouldn’t cook at home. Spiralling meat costs have prompted operators to reduce the weights of their core meat dishes such as beef burgers and steaks.”
While vegetable starters are showing more prominence on menus, Menurama also notes the return of traditional and game meats such as mutton, rabbit and guinea fowl, although fish and seafood main course dishes are being featured more strongly with haddock, calamari and sea bass appearing in the top 10 fish-based ingredients used. Salmon, meatballs and chicken salad have appeared on the list for the first time this year.
