I sometimes wonder what point they are trying to make:
Just over half of all the meals eaten out of the home are from fast food restaurants such as KFC and McDonald's (1), it has emerged.
In total, 50.4 per cent are from ‘quick service’ joints such as burger chains rather than ‘full service’ restaurants, a study shows. Families choosing fast food on a night out (2), pupils skipping school meals (3) and the lack of work canteens (4) are said to have caused the increase (5).
About 11 billion meals are eaten outside the home in a year (6) – be it at a work canteen (7), restaurant, pub or sandwich shop, says food service research specialist NPD.
Guy Fielding at NPD said: "It's a lot about trading down. Because fast food has become so cheap, it has driven families in particular away from independent restaurants and pubs to the fast food chains. Families want to know what they are getting. And with the likes of McDonald's or KFC they know it is a consistent experience and good value." (8)
The size of the dining out market has fallen from £50.8billion in the 12 months to September 2008 to £49.2billion in the 12 months to September 2011. (9) These figures echo comments made by supermarket bosses, who say shoppers are increasingly buying premium ready meals as a substitute for going out to a restaurant. (10)
1) Just in case the reader wasn't sure what "fast food" means.
2) It's their bloody night out, isn't it? By and large, my kids would prefer going to the cineman and then having a McDonald's to going to a restaurant (assuming the two cost about the same), and I have to say I agree.
3) Skipping a meal in order to be able to eat a meal..? Yeah, right.
4) Fair point, very few workplaces have canteens.
5) Wot? Families have always had their nights out, school dinners have never been the most appealing to all teenagers and very few workplaces have ever had canteens.
6) Ooh! Big scary number, that averages out at 3.5 per person per week. Or maybe half the population eats out 7 times a week, or anything in between.
7) Fail! First they say that lack of work canteens increases eating out, and then they categorise work canteens as eating out.
8) This is about the only bit which rings true.
9) Ooh! More big scary numbers! Divide that by 11 billion means and we get £4.50 per meal, which seems rather low, seeing as a "meal" from McDonald's etc is about £4 - £5, and a meal in a proper restaurant is £10 and upwards.
10) Some of those deals are pretty good value, actually.
But the Lawyers are Happy
6 hours ago
8 comments:
Thing is, they're not even talking about just fast food chains, but "burger chains" which presumably includes places like Frankie and Benny's (especially as they seem to contrast these with "pubs and independent restaurants").
One problem is that pubs and independent restaurants actually don't suit families very well. My favourite local restaurant doesn't start serving until 7pm which is too late for the kids.
But I've never really understood why people beat up on McDonalds. Is it anti-Americanism? A Greggs pastie, fish and chips or a chinese takeaway are all worse for you than a Big Mac meal, but Mickey Ds always gets a kicking.
>A Greggs pastie, fish and chips or a chinese takeaway are all worse for you than a Big Mac meal
None of the above are bad for you.
I'd say Super-size-Me was the peak-stupid film, hey a guy eats a lot of food, and then gets fat.
I'm sure I could do the same (on a much bigger budget) at Gaucho's, but then I reckon the whole point was to look down on poorer folk.
AC1
JT, the whole thing is a mystery to me, why people hate McD's so is a mystery to me, and McD's food is thoroughly healthy, no food is bad for you (unless you eat far too much of a particular type). Foodwise I prefer Burger King, but there you go.
AC1, agreed, there appears to be a lot of snobbery involved.
McDonalds and Burger King in the UK are vile and expensive. For cheap you can't beat Hong Kong - £1.70 for any McD meal, £3.50 for a BK meal. The burgers are huge and taste fine, and they have good hygiene standards although meat from China is always a bit suspect. If you want quality, McD and Hungry Jacks (BK equivalent) in Australia are excellent although given current exchange rates are relatively expensive £-wise. If you're in North America, there is no reason ever to eat at those 2 places, unless you're in the sticks and the nearest alternative is 50 miles away, which is a rare situation.
Anon, that is a classic example of food snobbery. Next time me and the kids feel peckish, we'll pop over to Hong Kong.
What about yer average greasy spoon? Does this count as a fast food joint or a "full service" restaurant? I'm partial to the odd full English breakfast, I am, but does this make me trendy?
B, good question.
My usual lunch on work days is a Full English* in an upmarket greasy spoon/budget restaurant. Whether Full or Fast, the bansturbulary does not approve of FEB's, oh no sir, not at all.
* As a chav and all-round anti-food-snob, I have it with chips, not with toast, of course.
Chips make it more of a Full English Brunch, but I've seldom seen them on offer. The choice, if there is one, is usually between toast and fried bread.
Actually, if you leave out the toast/fried bread/chips/rosti then a FEB is quite slimming. Whisper it not in the halls of the bansturbulary, but it seems that it's carbohydrates that make you fat, not fat.
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