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An
Indian curry has long been assumed as the nation's taste of choice
when it comes to eating ethnic cuisine. However, a new
report(released April 2) from Mintel* suggests the nation's most
popular ethnic food is Chinese, beating its nearest rival Indian
cuisine by 12%.
In a close
finish, Chinese food came out on top as the nation's overall
favourite ethnic food with 83% of Brits saying Chinese was the
cuisine they preferred most and Indian food hot on their heels with
71%. In fact, combined Indian and Chinese account for a massive 70%
of the ethnic food market. Relative newcomer to the market Mexican
food has also increased in popularity, growing by 20% over the last
two years.
However, in
terms of purchasing power, the research shows sales of Indian cuisine
surpassed Chinese by £189 million in the last year alone -
suggesting Brits are favouring cooking Indian food at home in the
kitchen. Indeed, as the current economic climate may be encouraging
Brits to recreate their favourite restaurant experience at home, new
research from Mintel suggests that while six in ten adults enjoy
ethnic food, they are ditching the ready meals for their own
healthier versions.
When it comes
to our home eating habits, four in ten adults who eat ethnic food
enjoy it at home once a month and one in ten eat it twice or more in
the week. Indeed, 62% of Brits said that cooking ethnic food at home
is cheaper than getting a takeaway and, proving we are enjoying the
fruits of our cooking labours, 36% said cooking ethnic food at home
tastes just as good as having a takeaway. Just 6% of Brits claim to
never eat ethnic food.
Mintel
projects the retail value of ethnic value in Britain to increase to
over £1.5 billion by 2013 as the nation's affinity for cooking
ethnic food at home grows. The nation's favourite Chinese food has
seen Stir Fry sales go up 37% over the last two years, while cooking
sauces for Chinese food are also up 13%. Indian food has also seen a
slump in ready meal sector, with sales down 2.6% from 2006, but
conversely has been a 11.4% rise in retail value of accompaniments in
the last two years. Mexican food has received a massive boost over
the same period with all retail sectors up in value.
Emmanuelle
Bouvier, Senior Market Analyst at Mintel said: "The current
economic climate seems to be impacting on Brits seeking to recreate
the restaurant experience at home. The initial establishment of
popular favourites Chinese and Indian cuisine have led to a
broadening of the market and increased popularity of different types
of ethnic food."
* 'Ethnic
Cuisine UK' is available from Mintel priced £1500
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