F&Y2 Wave 8: Chapter 4 Eating out and takeaways

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 local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A food safety officer from the local authority inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat. 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 England businesses are encouraged to display their FHRS rating, however in Wales and Northern Ireland food businesses are legally required to display their FHRS rating ^{(footnote 1)}. 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 eat out or order a takeaway from, and recognition and use of the FHRS.

Prevalence of eating out and ordering takeaways

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 8

Respondents were asked where they had eaten food from in the previous four weeks. Around 6 in 10 respondents had eaten food in a restaurant (58%), or a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or take out) (58%). Over 4 in 10 had eaten food from a takeaway ordered directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (46%), or in a pub or bar (46%), and 39% had eaten food at a fast-food outlet (either to eat in or take out). Around 3 in 10 (31%) had eaten food from a takeaway ordered from an online food delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats). Around 1 in 10 (8%) respondents had not eaten food from any of the listed food businesses in the previous 4 weeks (Figure 10) ^{(footnote 2)}. 

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

Younger respondents were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway (ordered directly or from an online food delivery company) in the previous four weeks compared to older respondents. However, the likelihood that respondents had eaten in a restaurant, pub or bar did not differ greatly between most age groups. For example, 79% of those aged between 16 and 24 years had eaten food from a takeaway compared to 25% of those aged 75 years or over. In comparison, 72% of those aged between 16 and 24 years had eaten in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to 71% of those aged 65-74 years (Figure 11).

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

Respondents with a higher household income were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar, or have eaten food from a takeaway (ordered directly or from an online food delivery company) in the previous 4 weeks compared to respondents with a lower income. For example, 80% of respondents with an income between £64,000 and £95,999 had eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to 55% of those with an income of £19,000 or below. Similarly, 69% of respondents with an income between £64,000 and £95,999 had eaten food from a takeaway (ordered directly or from an online food delivery company) compared to 53% of those with an income of less than £19,000 (Figure 12).

The prevalence of eating out in a restaurant, pub or bar or eating food from a takeaway (ordered directly or from an online food delivery company) 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, 78% of respondents living in a household of 5-persons or more had eaten food from a takeaway compared to 40% of respondents living alone. 
• Children under 16 years in household: respondents who had children in the household (70%) 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 (55%). Conversely, those who did not have children aged 16 years or under in the household (73%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to those with children aged 16 years or under in the household (65%)**.
• NS-SEC ^{(footnote 3)}: respondents in some occupational groups (for example, 78% of those in managerial, administrative and professional occupations) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to those who were long-term unemployed and/or had never worked (61%) and those in lower supervisory and technical occupations (66%), or semi-routine and routine occupations (48%). However, full-time students (82%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those in occupational groups (for example, 56% in intermediate occupations) and those who were long term unemployed and/or had never worked (66%).
• Regions (England): respondents in London (79%), and South-West England (77%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar than those in North-East England (61%). Conversely, respondents in North-East England (72%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those in Yorkshire and the Humber (59%), South-East England (56%), London (55%), East Midlands (55%), and South-West England (55%).
• Urban/rural: respondents living in an urban area (61%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those living in a rural area (50%). However, the prevalence of eating out in a restaurant, pub or bar did not differ between those who lived in urban (71%) or rural (71%) areas**. 
• Food security: respondents with high (77%) food security were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar than those with marginal (72%)**, low (67%) or very low (54%) food security. However, respondents with high (54%) food security were less likely to have eaten food from a takeaway than those with marginal (65%), low (66%) or very low (69%) food security.
• Ethnic group: white respondents (73%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to Asian or Asian British respondents (64%)**, however Asian or Asian British respondents (70%) were more likely to have eaten food from a takeaway compared to white respondents (58%) ^{(footnote 4)}.
• Long term health condition: respondents with no long-term health condition (75%) were more likely to have eaten out in a restaurant, pub or bar compared to respondents who had a long-term health condition (64%), however the prevalence of eating food from a takeaway did not differ greatly between those with (56%) or without (61%) a long-term health condition**.

Eating out and takeaways by mealtime

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

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 44% of respondents never doing this. Over half of respondents (56%) reported that they ate out or bought takeout food for lunch 2-3 times a month or less often. Respondents were most likely to eat out or buy food to take out for dinner, with 64% doing this 2-3 times a month or less often and 23% doing this about once a week or more often (Figure 13) ^{(footnote 5)}.

Factors considered when eating out

Respondents were asked which factors, from a given list, they generally considered when deciding where to eat out in restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés, coffee shops or sandwich shops.

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

Those who eat out were most likely to consider the quality of food (83%) and their previous experience of the place (80%) when deciding where to eat. Around 4 in 10 (41%) respondents considered the food hygiene rating when deciding where to eat out (Figure 14).  ^{(footnote 6)  (footnote 7)}

Factors considered when ordering takeaways

Respondents were asked which factors, from a given list, they generally considered when deciding where to order a takeaway from ^{(footnote 8)}. 

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

Those who order takeaways were most likely to consider their previous experience of the takeaway (79%) and the quality of food (70%) when deciding where to order a takeaway from. Around a third (34%) of respondents considered the food hygiene rating when deciding where to order a takeaway from (Figure 15) ^{(footnote 9)}.

Awareness and recognition of the FHRS

Most respondents (86%) reported that they had heard of the FHRS. Around 6 in 10 (57%) respondents reported that they had heard of the FHRS and had at least a bit of knowledge about it ^{(footnote 10)}, ^{(footnote 11)}.

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

Most respondents living in England (86%), Wales (93%), and Northern Ireland (91%) had heard of the FHRS (Figure 16)**.

Respondents in Wales (74%) and Northern Ireland (66%) were more likely to report that they had heard of the FHRS and had at least a bit of knowledge of the FHRS compared to those in England (56%).

When shown an image of the food hygiene rating sticker, 89% of respondents reported that they had seen the food hygiene rating sticker before. Recognition of the food hygiene rating sticker was slightly higher in Wales (95%) and Northern Ireland (94%) than in England (89%)  ^{(footnote 12)  (footnote 13)}**.

FHRS usage

Respondents were asked if they had checked the hygiene rating of a food business in the last 12 months. Around 4 in 10 (42%) respondents reported checking the food hygiene rating of a business in the previous 12 months  ^{(footnote 14)}.

Respondents living in Wales (58%) were more likely to have checked the hygiene rating of a food business in the last 12 months compared to respondents in England (41%) and Northern Ireland (49%)**. 

Source: Food and You 2: Wave 8

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 respondents had checked the food rating of were restaurants (70%) and takeaways (70%). Respondents were less likely to report checking the food hygiene rating of cafés (51%), coffee or sandwich shops (35%), or pubs (34%) (Figure 17) ^{(footnote 15)}.