|
An
unease has been blowing through the ethnic restaurant industry as
restaurateurs worry about how much the present Credit Crunch will
affect them and for how long. Latest news from the retail industry
suggests that this unease is very much justified which begs the
question "what do we do now?".
According to
the latest reports, sales of spices and Asian ready-meals are soaring
as families increasingly turn to exotic cuisines and switch from
eat-outs and take-outs to eat-ins.
Supermarkets
have seen sales of curry ingredients such as ginger, coriander and
chillies more than double, while Indian ready-meal sales are up 50%.
Sales of chilli in supermarkets have grown 144% in a year according
to Morrisons with curry powder seeeing a 169% growth.
During the
past year, its sales of Indian ready-meals have risen 69%, while
Sainsbury's has seen a 50% increase.
This does not
mean overall demand is going down, however, for according to analyst
TNS UK, tastes.have seen an eight-fold rise in demand for ethnic food
since 1994 and has noted a drift away from milder herbs used in
British cuisine.
For example,
tarragon is down 22%, thyme 16%, basil 5% and dill 1%. However, sales
of fresh coriander and chillies are up 8%, while fresh ginger has
spiked by 20%. Lime and lemongrass, which are used heavily in Thai
food, are also up sharply.
Bart Spices,
a Bristol herb and spice importer, also reports that demand for Asian
food products is rising at delicatessens with sales of pickles and
chutneys particularly strong this year.
The price
advantage of a supermarket ready-meal curry over the take-out version
is significant often being a third of the price of the restaurant equivalent.
This all
suggests an increasingly bad time ahead for Indian and Oriental
restaurants not only for their dine-in but their dine-out services.
Money is scarce so many pundits see a mass swing from dining out to
cooking at home fueled by TV programmes such as Gordon Ramsay's
latest show on Channel 4 and Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food.
Evidence
suggests that whilst there is, indeed, such a movement at the margin,
many households have got out of the habit of preparing meals from
scratch and are not likely to change even in the face of financial
problems. What they will do, however, is turn to chilled meals and
supermarket products as the cheapest alternative not involving much
personal preparation followed by restaurant take-aways as the
slightly more expensive but undoubtedly tastier option.
This is where
embattled restaurants must focus a new effort to ensure sales keep as
buoyant as possible.
What Can
Restaurants Do?
What they
must not do is to sacrifice quality, as an increasingly discerning
public will soon realise it and vote with their feet accordingly.
They also have to ensure their product offers the best value possible
and that it is aggressively marketed but beyond this, there is little
that can be done.
Where they
can take positive steps is in their take-out business to encourage
potential customers to continue to enjoy quality restaurant food
rather than turning to questionable supermarket alternatives.
Restaurants need to ensure their take-out service is slick and of the
highest quality and is easy for the public to order.
One company
that has already recognised this is CurriesOnline.co.uk - the UKs
first Online ordering solution dedicated to the Indian restaurant
trade. This company is offering a top class service to Indian
restaurants and the public via their very smart website www.curriesonline.co.uk.
Managing
Director Shamin Hoque said " We intend the website to be a
kind of 'one stop shop' for people wanting to order a curry. As well
as enabling them to order from the menu of a nearby restaurant, we
are also providing sections on nutrition, health and a wealth of
information to help with selection and make it more informed. The
accent of Curries Online is on quality and to this end we have
employed one of the top experts in the country on Asian restaurant
cuisine to ensure the information on the site is authoritative and enjoyable."
Internet
activity will make a vital difference to the success or failure of
restaurants during the difficult economic downswing and free
registration with Curries Online is the perfect way for restaurants
to take advantage of this vital selling medium.
top |
