Blogs
How adventurous is your menu? Do you stick to traditional, tried-and-tested dishes you know diners will enjoy, or do you prefer to create unique and inspiring dishes that guests are unlikely to have seen on any other menu? In light of new research from Sacla, it appears that the majority of diners have become more adventurous when dining out. The 'Eating Out – Today and Tomorrow' (EOTT) report, produced by consumer foresight agency Trajectory , found that 62% of adults in the UK now claim to be adventurous in terms of their meal choices. Of the 2,034 respondents polled, two-thirds said they were passionate about food and drink, while 31% dine out at least once a week, Big Hospitality reports. What's more, 41% of respondents read recent visitors reviews to help them decide where to eat. In the survey, 20% of respondents said they last dined out either mid-morning or mid-afternoon and a third said they would consider eating out at a shopping centre in the future. What these figures indicate is a shift in consumer attitudes in relation to when and where they dine out. Managing director at Trajectory, Paul Flatters, commented: "Consumers feel less constricted in their behaviour by traditional norms of time, place and social status." He continues: "A core theme throughout the report and a concept we labelled the 'deregulation of life' – time, place, individualism and mobile devices – demand that foodservice operators consider how they could or should offer the flexibility and choice to match today's deregulated lifestyles." Clare Blampied, managing director at Sacla UK , hopes that the results from the survey provide useful insight for those working in the hospitality industry. The report, she believes, "provides strategic insight for operators looking to improve their offering." Are you offering the flexibility and choice to match modern-day consumers' deregulated lifestyles?
