Almost four in five British people ate Chinese food in the past three months, with 12% eating it once a week, according to a study by Mintel.
Richard Ford, senior food analyst at Mintel, said: “Overall, the ethnic restaurant and takeaway market holds real potential, with the popularity of both Chinese and Indian takeaways and restaurants reflecting the cuisine’s long-established position in the UK.
Indian food was named as the nation’s second favourite fare, with 74% of Brits saying they ate it at home at least once over the last three months.
As well as the UK’s cupboards and fridges, Chinese food dominated in the foodservice arena, with 76% of ethnic food consumers having visited a Chinese-serving venue above Indian (72%) and Thai (40%).
“Whilst dishes such as chow mein and sweet & sour chicken are typical of the cuisine, operators continue to surprise and delight consumers with more unusual offerings,” Ford added.
22% of respondents said they would consider using an ethnic restaurant to celebrate cultural or religious events such as Chinese New Year, which takes place today, February 19
Ford said: “Those Chinese restaurants that lay on special menus or otherwise celebrate Chinese New Year should have a useful point of difference to help them attract diners.”
But although Chinese food reigns supreme for now, Malaysian and Caribbean food could see increased interest and growth across the next year.
Mintel reported that 58% of people who had never eaten Malaysian or Caribbean food said they would want to try both in future.
Ford said: “That a large proportion of people would be interested in visiting a Caribbean restaurant is likely to partly stem from the cuisine’s visibility in recent years, for example, through brands such as Levi Roots in the retail channel.
“Strong interest in Malaysian cuisine similarly comes as the cuisine has been gaining greater visibility in foodservice and at retail.”
You can read The Publican’s Morning Advertiser’s business tips for Chinese new year here: http://bit.ly/19CvVzL