2026
9
UK Eating Out Review: 2026
2026-04-01T12:01:42+00:00
REP4A5A5C76_2B1C_424A_9A5C_762B1CF24A14
2195
192427
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Report
en_GB
UK restaurant and café prices have more than doubled since 2000, rising from a CPI of 62 to 153 by December 2025. Despite this, the market remains resilient. In 2025,…
UK
Foodservice
simple

UK Eating Out Review: 2026

"Despite rising prices, Brits are still dining out. To win loyal customers, operators should focus on value, healthy options, and convenient all-day menus."

Trish Caddy, Associate Principal - Foodservice

Trish Caddy, Associate Principal - Foodservice

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for the UK eating out market
    • Opportunities
    • Younger diners drive multi-daypart, high-frequency visits, unlocking opportunities for value, routine, and sustainable engagement
    • Subscriptions offer a high-value opportunity, appealing to premium diners and families with children, unlocking repeat visits and engagement
    • GLP-1 users reflect a broader shift toward portion control, lighter eating, and mindful drinking among UK diners
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Cost-of-living pressures dominate consumer concerns, reinforced by widespread exposure to rising everyday expenses
    • Graph 1: consumer concerns, 2026
    • UK restaurant and café spending has rebounded strongly since the pandemic, while value-seeking behaviours remain widespread
    • Graph 2: household expenditure on cafes etc CP SA, 1985-2025
    • Restaurant and café prices have more than doubled since 2000, with inflation accelerating sharply after 2021
    • Graph 3: CPI for restaurants & cafes, 2020-26
    • Declining nightlife and restaurant formats highlight the need for destination-led experiences that give consumers a stronger reason to go out
    • Graph 4: annual change in licensed outlets by segment, 2024-25
    • Declining UK hospitality employment in 2025 increases pressure on staff retention and training
    • Inflation‑led growth amid selective consumer spend
    • Market size and forecast of foodservice
    • Graph 5: market size and forecast of foodservice, 2019-30
    • Foodservice growth continues across segments as value, convenience, and workplace recovery sustain demand
    • Graph 6: foodservice % change in market value, by segment, 2024-25
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • UK eating out consumer trends
    • Eat-in rises by five points, while takeaway remains at a long-term high
    • Culturally diverse menus drive UK eat-in growth, with European cuisines leading consumer visits
    • Graph 7: annual change in restaurants and food outlets visited for eat-in meals, 2024-25
    • Food courts are growing fast
    • Graph 8: annual change in restaurants and food outlets visited for takeaway meals, 2024-25
    • Food courts attract younger diners, positioning them as culinary exploration hubs over traditional takeaway spots
    • Younger diners drive the widening mix of quick-service outlets used for eat-in and takeaway
    • Graph 9: repertoire of food outlets^ visited for eat in or takeaway, by age group, 2025
    • Older diners tend to spend less, while under-45s are more likely to spend over £20 on a meal
    • Frequency and timing of fast food takeaway occasions
    • Evening drives the highest takeaway frequency…
    • …but younger diners are increasingly active across all dayparts
    • Graph 10: share of takeaway users who order in each daypart at least 2–3 times a month, by age group, 2025
    • Higher spenders drive frequent takeaway across all dayparts, opening opportunities beyond the evening peak
    • Graph 11: share of takeaway users who order in each daypart at least 2–3 times a month, by typical spend on themselves for eating in/takeaway, 2025
    • Current participation and future interest in foodservice concepts
    • Two ways diners maximise value from takeaway
    • Younger and older diners approach takeaway savings differently, highlighting opportunity for targeted deal formats
    • Graph 12: participation and interest in end-of-day sale vs collection-only deal, by age group, 2025
    • Rising set menu uptake shows greater comfort with fixed‑price, curated dining experiences
    • Graph 13: participation and interest in a set menu at a restaurant , 2024-25
    • Reward redemptions via restaurant apps rose in 2025, but many diners still avoid using apps to claim offers
    • Graph 14: participation and interest in redeeming rewards via a restaurant or food outlet’s branded mobile app, 2024-25
    • Restaurant subscriptions resonate most with high spenders and households with children
    • Influence of weight-loss medications on dining and takeaway habits
    • Users of prescription weight loss medication are reshaping eating-out occasions…
    • … by choosing smaller portions, healthier dishes
    • Higher-spending diners are more interested in weight-loss drugs, meaning premium restaurants could be the first to feel an impact
    • Graph 15: consumer interest in GLP‑1 weight-loss medication, by typical spend per dining occasion, 2025
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Tesco shoppers favour QSRs and delivery platforms for out-of-home spend
    • Graph 16: top foodservice merchants by out-of-home spend among Tesco customers in Snoop’s cohort, 2024-26
    • Breakfast and brunch revival creates new reasons to eat out in the morning
    • Restaurants diversify formats to stay relevant as food-led venues compete for occasions
    • Value-led menus keep customers coming back for affordable dining options
    • Restaurants and pubs boost subscriptions and loyalty apps to keep customers coming back
    • Weight-loss trends prompt smaller portions, healthier menus and new drinking occasions
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • Market size and forecast of foodservice
    • Market forecast and prediction intervals
    • Market size of foodservice, by segment, 2021-25
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • Other data source methodologies
    • Mintel Spark
    • Snoop SpendMapper methodology
    • Abbreviations

UK Foodservice Industry – Eating Out Statistics

  • UK restaurant and café prices have more than doubled since 2000, rising from a CPI of 62 to 153 by December 2025. Despite this, the market remains resilient. In 2025, 90% of Britons still eat in restaurants and 84% order takeaway, showing strong consumer attachment even amid persistent price inflation.
  • Rising costs are reshaping perceptions of value for both operators and customers. To justify spend, operators increasingly deploy loyalty apps, set menus, and meal deals: 54% of eat-in or takeaway diners used a meal deal, and 43% of restaurant diners chose set menus in 2025. These approaches reflect a broader shift toward value-driven, price-conscious occasions.
  • The most significant growth opportunity lies with younger, multi-daypart diners, whose frequent visits span formats, such as kiosks and food halls. This extends brand reach to new dayparts, including breakfast, and new locations, such as travel hubs. At the same time, operators face ongoing cost-of-living and labour inflation pressures, which squeeze margins and risk eroding real spend per visit. Success will depend on balancing value-led innovation with disciplined cost management to sustain growth in a changing market.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • Analysis of market performance: inflation’s long-tail effect on menu pricing, value perception and trading-down behaviour
  • Segment performance outlook: all UK foodservice segments are growing, just at different paces
  • Generational demand shifts: younger consumers’ habit of eating at various times throughout the day is driving diversification in food formats, while their engagement with incentives like app-based rewards helps build long-term loyalty
  • Choice drivers, value and innovation strategies: GLP-1 use, portion control and demand for lighter, functional food & drink are shaping menu design

Report Scope

This report focuses on the UK foodservice market, specifically exploring various types of eateries within full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants (including QSR e.g. coffee shops, fast food outlets and takeaways), pubs and bars, contract caterers and nightclubs.

Mintel has revised its market size to provide a more complete picture of the overall health of the UK foodservice market for this year’s Report. The revision was conducted using a combination of improved methodology and resources, including the analysis of ONS consumer spending data and business activity data in addition to trade interviews, analysis of business results and Mintel consumer research findings. This allowed for a more comprehensive assessment of the size of the UK foodservice market, including the value of food and drink sales from events and catering – segments that were previously excluded.

Excluded:

  • Ready-to-eat supermarket and convenience store food: pre-prepared meals sold in these retailers are not included.
  • Vending machines: foods and drinks dispensed from machines are outside the scope of this report.
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