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Food and You 2: Northern Ireland Wave 5-6 Key Findings

F&Y2 Wave 5-6 NI: Chapter 4: Eating out and takeaways

Northern Ireland specific

This chapter provides an overview of respondents’ eating out and takeaway ordering habits, the factors that are considered when deciding where to order a takeaway from, and recognition and use of the FHRS.

Last updated: 30 November 2023
Last updated: 30 November 2023

Introduction

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) helps people make informed choices about where to eat out or shop for food by giving clear information about the businesses’ hygiene standards. Ratings are typically given to places where food is supplied, sold or consumed, including restaurants, pubs, cafés, takeaways, food vans and stalls.

The FSA runs the scheme in partnership with district councils in Northern Ireland, and with local authorities in England and Wales. In Northern Ireland, district council food safety officers are responsible for checking food hygiene standards at food premises to assess compliance with legal requirements through unannounced hygiene inspections. Businesses are given a rating from 0 to 5. A rating of 5 indicates that hygiene standards are very good and a rating of 0 indicates that urgent improvement is required.

Food businesses are provided with a sticker which shows their FHRS rating. In Northern Ireland and Wales food businesses are legally required to display their FHRS rating (footnote 1), however in England businesses are encouraged to display their FHRS rating . FHRS ratings are also available on the FSA website.

This chapter provides an overview of respondents’ eating out and takeaway ordering habits, the factors that are considered when deciding where to order a takeaway from, and recognition and use of the FHRS.

Prevalence of eating out and ordering takeaways

Figure 9. Type of food business respondents had eaten at or ordered food from in the previous 4 weeks.

A bar chart showing the types of food businesses which respondents had eaten at or ordered food from in the previous 4 weeks.
Type of food business Percentage of respondents (%)
None of these 9
Facebook Marketplace 0
Food-sharing app 2
Food van or stall 11
Entertainment venue 11
Canteen 17
Hotel / B&B / Guesthouse 24
Takeaway - via online delivery company 26
Pub or bar 33
Fast food outlet -
eat out or takeaway" 50
Restaurant 64
Takeaway - directly from takeaway or restaurant 66
Cafe, coffee or sandwich shop 66

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Source: Food & You 2: Wave 6

Respondents were asked where they had eaten out or ordered food from in the previous 4 weeks. The most common places respondents reported eating food was from a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or take out) (66%), ordered a takeaway directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (66%) or eaten out in a restaurant (64%). Around 1 in 10 (9%) respondents had not eaten food from any of the listed food businesses in the previous 4 weeks (Figure 9) (footnote 2).

Figure 10. Prevalence of eating out in a restaurant, pub or bar, or from a takeaway by age group in the previous 4 weeks.

A bar chart showing the proportion of respondents who had eaten in a restaurant, pub or bar or from a takeaway in the previous 4 weeks by age group.
Age (years) Eaten in a restaurant, pub or bar Eaten food from a takeaway, ordered directly or online
25-34 68 89
35-44 72 78
45-54 74 80
55-64 73 71
65-79 69 55

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Source: Food and You 2: Wave 6

Younger respondents were more likely to have eaten out from a takeaway (ordered directly or online) in the previous 4 weeks compared to older respondents. For example, 89% of respondents aged 25 to 34 years had eaten food from a takeaway (ordered directly or online) compared to 55% of those aged 65 to 79 years (Figure 10).

The prevalence of eating out in a restaurant, pub or bar or eating food from a takeaway (ordered directly or online) in the previous 4 weeks also varied between different types of people in the following ways:

  • household size: respondents who lived in larger households were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those who lived in smaller households. For example, 83% of respondents living in a household with 5 or more people had eaten food from a takeaway compared to 50% of respondents living alone. 
  • annual household income: respondents with a higher household income between £19,000 and £95,999 (for example 77% of respondents with an income of £32,000-£64,999) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar, in the previous 4 weeks compared to respondents with an income below £19,000 (54%) (footnote 3). Similarly, those with an annual household income of more than £19,000 (for example, 78% of respondents with an income of £32,000- £63,999) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those with an income of less than £19,000 (66%).
  • children under 16 years in household: respondents who had children in the household (81%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those who did not have children aged 16 years or under in the household (70%). However, the prevalence of eating out in a restaurant, pub or bar did not differ between those with (68%) or without (70%) children aged 16 years or under in the household**.
  • NS-SEC: respondents in managerial, administrative and professional occupations (73%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to those in semi-routine and routine occupations (63%).
  • food security: respondents with high food security (74%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar than those with low (60%) or very low food security (51%). However, those with very low food security (82%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those with marginal food security (70%).
  • long term health condition: respondents without a long-term health condition (73%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to respondents who had a long-term health condition (59%). However the prevalence of eating food from a takeaway did not differ between those with (74%) or without (74%) a long-term health condition**. 
  • NIMDM: respondents who lived in the least deprived areas (NIMDM 5) (78%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to respondents who lived in the most deprived areas (NIMDM 1) (62%). However, the proportion of respondents who had eaten food from a takeaway did not vary between areas of deprivation (for example NIMDM 1, 74% compared to NIMDM 5, 73%)**. 
  • responsibility for cooking: Respondents who reported having responsibility for cooking (71%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to those who do not cook (55%).

Eating out and takeaways by mealtime

Figure 11. Frequency of eating out or buying food to takeout by mealtime.

A bar chart showing the frequency that respondents reported eating out or buying food to takeout for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Frequency Breakfast Lunch Dinner
About once a week or more often 14 26 30
About 2-3 times a month or less often 36 52 58
Never 48 19 10

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Source: Food & You 2: Wave 6

Respondents were asked how often they ate out or bought food to take out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Respondents were least likely to eat out or buy food to take out for breakfast, with 48% of respondents never doing this. Around half of respondents (52%) reported that they ate out or bought take out food for lunch 2-3 times a month or less often (Figure 11) (footnote 4).

Factors considered when ordering a takeaway 

Respondents were asked which factors, from a given list, they generally considered when deciding where to order a takeaway from (footnote 5).

Figure 12. Factors considered when ordering a takeaway.

A bar chart showing the factors which respondents considered when ordering a takeaway
Factors considered Percentage of respondents (%)
Calorie information provided 2
Allergen information provided 6
Independent business or chain 8
Healthier options provided 9
Whether food can be ordered online 20
Reviews 20
Delivery/collection option 21
Delivery/collection times 25
Offers, deals, discounts 30
Food Hygiene Rating 40
Type of food 41
Location of takeaway 46
Price 53
Recommendations 53
Quality of food 73
Experience of the takeaway 81

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Source: Food & You 2: Wave 6

Of those who had ordered food from a takeaway, the factors most commonly considered when deciding where to place an order were the respondents’ previous experience of the takeaway (81%) and the quality of food (73%). In addition, 4 in 10 (40%) respondents considered the food hygiene rating when deciding where to order a takeaway from (Figure 12) (footnote 6).

Awareness and recognition of the FHRS

Figure 13. Percentage of respondents who had heard of the FHRS by country.

A bar chart showing the proportion of respondents who had heard of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
Country Have heard of the FHRS Have never heard of the FHRS
Northern Ireland 91 9
England 86 14
Wales 92 8

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Source: Food and You 2: Wave 6

Most respondents (91%) reported that they had heard of the FHRS. 65% of respondents reported that they had heard of the FHRS and had at least a bit of knowledge about it (footnote 7), (footnote 8).

Most respondents living in Northern Ireland (91%), England (86%), and Wales (92%), had heard of the FHRS (Figure 13)**. Respondents in Wales (69%) and Northern Ireland (65%) were more likely to report that they had heard of the FHRS and had at least some knowledge of the FHRS compared to those in England (54%).

When shown an image of the FHRS sticker, recognition of the FHRS sticker was comparable across Northern Ireland (93%), Wales (91%) and England (87%)** (footnote 9).

FHRS usage

Respondents living in Wales (59%) were more likely to have checked the hygiene rating of a food business in the last 12 months compared to respondents in Northern Ireland (48%) and England (42%) (footnote 10).

Figure 14. Food businesses where respondents in Northern Ireland had checked the food hygiene rating in last 12 months.

A bar chart showing the food businesses where respondents had checked the food hygiene rating in the last 12 months.
Food business Percentage of respondents (%)
In other food shops 6
On market stalls\street food 7
In schools, hospitals and other institutions 10
In supermarkets 11
In hotels /B&Bs 27
In pubs 29
In coffee or sandwich shops 51
In cafes 65
In takeaways 74
In restaurants 76

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Source: Food & You 2: Wave 6

Respondents who said they had checked the hygiene rating of a food business in the last 12 months were asked what types of food businesses they had checked. The most common types of food business which respondents had checked the food rating of were restaurants (76%) and takeaways (74%) (Figure 14) (footnote 11)