F&Y2 Wave 10 Chapter 3: 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 

Respondents were asked where they had eaten food from in the previous four weeks. The most common type of establishment respondents had eaten at was a restaurant (59%) or a café, coffee shop or sandwich shop (either to eat in or take out) (59%). Over four in ten had eaten food from a takeaway ordered directly from a takeaway shop or restaurant (46%), or in a pub or bar (45%), whilst 38% had eaten food at a fast-food outlet (either to eat in or take out) and 31% had eaten food from a takeaway ordered from an online food delivery company (for example, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats). Nearly one in ten 10 (8%) respondents had not eaten food from any of the listed food businesses in the previous 4 weeks (Figure 9). ^{(footnote 2)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10 
 

Eating out and takeaways by mealtime

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 43% of respondents never doing this. Around three in ten (29%) respondents reported that they ate out or bought takeout food for lunch once a week or more often. Respondents were most likely to eat out or buy food to take out for dinner, with 63% doing this 2-3 times a month or less often and 25% doing this about once a week or more often and (Figure 10). ^{(footnote 3)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10

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. Those who eat out were most likely to consider the quality of food (81%) and their previous experience of the place (77%) when deciding where to eat. Around four in ten (41%) respondents considered the food hygiene rating when deciding where to eat out (Figure 11). ^{(footnote 4)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10

Factors considered when ordering takeaway 

Respondents were asked which factors, from a given list, they generally considered when deciding where to order a takeaway from ^{(footnote 5)}. Those who ordered takeaways were most likely to consider their previous experience of the takeaway (77%) and the quality of food (70%) when deciding where to order a takeaway from. Around a third (35%) of respondents considered the food hygiene rating when deciding where to order a takeaway from (Figure 12). ^{(footnote 6)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10

Awareness and recognition of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Most respondents (89%) reported that they had heard of the FHRS. Around six in ten (62%) 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 England (89%), Wales (94%), and Northern Ireland (92%) had heard of the FHRS (Figure 13). Respondents in Wales (73%) 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 (61%).

When shown an image of the food hygiene rating sticker, 91% 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 (95%) than in England (91%)**. ^{(footnote 9)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme usage

Respondents were asked if they had checked the hygiene rating of a food business in the last 12 months. Around four in ten (44%) respondents reported checking the food hygiene rating of a business in the previous 12 months. ^{(footnote 10)}

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 England (43%) and Northern Ireland (49%)**. 

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 (73%) and takeaways (69%). Respondents were least likely to report checking the food hygiene rating of supermarkets (9%), market stalls/street food (8%), or schools, hospitals and other institutions (8%) (Figure 14). ^{(footnote 11)}

Source: Food & You 2: Wave 10