Meat mains – others is the leading food and beverage sub-category constituting the majority market share by the number of menu items offered in restaurants, followed by the curry and pizza sub-categories, according to GlobalData’s menu intelligence database. In its menu analysis of the meat mains – others sub-category in the UK report, GlobalData analyses 1 million menu items from different foodservice outlets and provides an overview of the food categories available across the foodservice channel in the UK. According to the report, the meat mains – others sub-category constituted a 64% share among all restaurant types in the UK. Buy the report here.

Smarter leaders trust GlobalData

Chicken was found to be the most-used ingredient in the meat mains – others sub-category featuring in 41% of menu items, followed by lamb and herbs, spices & seasonings. Beef and vegetables were also significant ingredients.

An analysis of the annual price change between 2023 and H1 2024 indicates that the average menu prices in the meat mains – others sub-category have dropped by 0.02%. As on-premises dining gains momentum following the COVID-19 pandemic, the meat mains – others sub-category in the UK is expected to experience overall growth.

Different sub-categories exhibited mixed price movements within the UK foodservice market between 2023 and H1 2024. Of all the sub-categories, the packaged water (still & sparkling) sub-category exhibited the highest price increase, while meat mains - others experienced a maximum price decrease.

An in-depth analysis of meat mains - others sub-category price trend by location reveals consumption trends of each region. The graph below represents the change in meat mains - others sub-category menu prices during 2022-2024 across the top five locations. As seen below, meat mains - others sub-category menu items in Leeds(UK) became more affordable as compared to London-UK and Glasgow(UK).

While consumers become more price conscious, operators too, look for ways to optimize their costs to retain margin and market share. In the UK market, restaurants operators rely on innovation as a crucial tactic to appeal to customers as well as optimize costs. As increasing number of consumers seek novel experiences, foodservice operators must continuously innovate their menu choices, providing superior taste and quality along with a diverse selection of dishes. Operators should highlight the distinctive tastes and flavours of their food and beverage offerings in a convenient format to enhance customer engagement.

To further understand and explore GlobalData’s insight into the UK sub-category menu, buy the report here.

Data Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Online Menu Intelligence is a database of cost and profit foodservice operators on menus within Foodservice Intelligence Center. The tool’s several search options, such as cuisine, category, menu item, ingredient, and restaurant, help users to conduct focused searches in terms of price analysis (average price and change in prices), menu item claims, popular categories, cuisine/ingredient penetration levels, etc.