Although challenged by the recession the number of restaurants, takeaways and other catering outlets across Britain has continued to rise for almost two decades.
According to a new survey by the real estate services advisor, CBRE, catering establishments that are part of a national chain are the only retail sector to have seen unbroken UK growth over the past seventeen years.
And the type of food demanded by the public — and where it eats it — has also undergone a recent “dramatic shift”. In a separate report from the National Caterers Association, the number of registered street food vendors operating in the UK has increased from 10 to more than 1,000 in the last five years.
“Street food has had a massive impact on the wider market in recent years,” explained Nigel Costain, head of leisure at CBRE Retail. “The variety and quality of the food on offer has increased markedly and created an expectation among consumers that this quality and variety should be replicated in a restaurant environment … This has breathed new life into the industry and reflects the globalisation of the UK’s restaurant landscape.”
The CBRE survey, which takes an in depth look at the trends affecting the restaurant and catering market across the country, shows that the growth of restaurants specialising in relatively new types of food has been particularly strong in recent years.
The number of burrito bars and restaurants such as Barburrito and Chilango has grown at the fastest rate of any food type over the last few years, with a 71 per cent rise in chain supported outlets in 2014 representing an average annual growth rate of 57 per cent since 2009.
Eateries specialising in mixed world cuisine, such as Giraffe, saw a growth of 41 per cent in 2014, making the five-year average almost equal at 40 per cent. And new entrants in natural and healthy food sector, like Leon, have also seen a rapid expansion of 38 per cent last year.
“This study shows that the recession, in tandem with the growth of online retailing, hit parts of the UK high street hard, but the restaurant sector proved extremely resilient,” said CBRE’s head of central London leisure, Seb Howard. “In recent years, there has been extraordinary diversification in the restaurant sector driven by the demand for new types of cuisine and the changing eating patterns fuelled by the rise of street food vendors.
“These trends have injected vibrancy into the market and have seen restaurateurs capitalise on the increased availability of premises and floor-space left by other shop operators closing their doors, continued Howard, who added: “This is why the sector is so important to the health of the UK high street, encouraging consumers back and increasing the time they spend close to other local retailers.”
The survey — analysed by the property consultancy from data supplied by Retail Locations — showed that restaurant and food outlet numbers are now 258 per cent higher than in 1998, charting an eight per cent annual growth rate. There are now 17,450 chain branches in operation across the country.
The catering figures far outstrip any of the other leisure sectors, such as gyms and cinemas, which have only grown by 90 per cent since 1998. They’re also far above the increase in the number of other types retailers and shops which are now just 50 per cent higher than in 1998 — a year-on-year increase of just three per cent.
