Meaningless Statistics Of The Day

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.