Pubs missing out on oriental food opportunity

Research commissioned by Oriental supplier Wing Yip reported while 94% of Brits have eaten Chinese food at home, from a takeaway or at a restaurant, only 7% eat it in pubs at least monthly, with most doubting that they will find a credible option on a pub menu.

Brian Yip, managing director of Wing Yip UK, said: “This report highlights that consumers are becoming far more adventurous in their tastes and whilst the number of Pan-Asian restaurants are growing, there is an opportunity for pubs to do more and maximise the trading opportunity by offering a wider choice of quality Oriental food.”

Recent data from foodservice analysts Horizons highlighted that only 1% of pub menu listings were Pan-Asian main course listings.

Embraced​

“I was wondering to myself why pubs haven’t embraced Oriental food other than Thai food,” said Horizons managing director Peter Backman.

“It’s not the food itself, it’s to do with the preparation. [Oriental food] is perceived to be complicated.”

This was in stark comparison to Pan-Asian listings on branded restaurant menus, the report said, which has increased by 95 over the past three years.

Of all Asian cuisines, Chinese was still the most popular amongst consumers, with 87% eating it regularly.

Steadily​

Interest in Japanese food had grown steadily and, whilst sweet and sour chicken and Thai green curry were still the Nation’s first and second favourite dishes, sushi followed shortly behind in fourth place.

However, less well-known cuisines such as Vietnamese, Malaysian and Korean were also experiencing a growth in consumer demand – particularly in London.