40|Retail News|March 2020|www.retailnews.ie
The Changing Face of Irish Food
Bord Bia examines Irish eating habits New research from Bord Bia has unveiled the truth about the nation’s evening meal habits, including their desire to eat more healthily and their changing attitudes to buying Irish. WHAT do Irish people eat for their evening meal? Have eating habits changed considerably? Are Irish people actually eating what they say they eat? To find out the answers to these questions, Bord Bia recently released the results of an in-depth national study into the evening meal consumption habits of today. Carried out in partnership with Red C Research, this unique study was designed to better understand the changing dynamics of people’s evening mealtime habits, including the gap between what we say and what we do, and ultimately identify opportunities for the Irish food, drink and horticulture sectors. The study involved a nationally representative online survey of over 1,000 Irish consumers who charted their evening eating habits, resulting in a sample of 5,925 adult and 1,841 child
evening meals, collected over seven consecutive days. The research captures consumer intentions to live more healthily and sustainably versus their daily choices when it comes to evening meals. Key findings Key findings of the study include: •
Classic ‘meat and two veg’ is the number one evening meal type eaten by adults in 2019, accounting for 11% of all adult evening meals across the seven days. Chicken dishes and pasta with sauce meals, such as spaghetti Bolognese, were in second and third spot at 10%.
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Pasta with sauce meals, such as spaghetti Bolognese, was the number one meal type eaten by children, accounting for 14% of all evening meals.
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Red meat is the most popular meat consumed in Irish households, with 29% of all adult meals including red meat, although chicken follows closely behind at 21%.
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Incidence of fish within all meals is at 7%. However, this increases to
11% on Fridays, demonstrating it is still a popular evening meal choice. •
Dairy is a key part of evening meals among Irish consumers, with 17% of all meals containing cheese.
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Over three quarters of grocery shoppers use Irish produce wherever possible, with the perception that it is worth paying more significantly higher (up 10%) than 2011.
Good intentions prevail Health and wellness considerations are driving consumer behaviour, with over 80% of people placing a high level of importance on eating a balanced diet. Four in 10 adults cite awareness of the food they eat and the impact it can have on physical and mental wellness as having a great deal of influence on evening meal choice. Ethical considerations are also influencing consumer behaviour, as almost three in 10 people feel making choices that are more positive for the environment has a great deal of influence on evening meals. While just over two in 10 (23%) people claim to have prepared more vegan meals at home in the last 12 months, the reality is that just 1% of
