INSIGHTS - Scotland Food and Drink

2013 and BeyondThe Digital DinerAngelsmith, a digital marketing agency, recently produced its InfluentialDining Survey and has developed its Dining Decision Ecosystem, aframework that provides insight into how and what most influences dinerswhen selecting restaurants. The survey revealed that consumers rely on aseries of crucial steps before making a dining decision. In approximately8 out of 10 times (80.1%), a personal word of mouth recommendationis supplemented with additional research.Respondents were asked to rank the most important places they usefor additional restaurant research after receiving a recommendationfrom a friend. User generated review sites (27.7%) and the restaurant’swebsite (27%) were in a near statistical tie as the most important placesconsumers turn. Other friends (25.2%) and food blogs (16.4%) wereranked as the second most important places for additional restaurantresearch. All of these pieces work together to move the consumer fromthe consideration phase to their ultimate dining decision.There are over 1,500 dining apps for iPhone and Android, aiding UKconsumers in establishment choice, location and menu information.There are over 2,000 food blogs across the UK, where individuals sharetheir love of food, cooking and eating out.Although UK adults are prolific on social network sites and lead in termsof usage across Europe, the number of people who follow an eating outbrand is modest at just 18%.The discount culture is prolific in social media networks. 42% ofconsumers state that they only follow or like specific eating out brandsin order to benefit from promotional activity.3rd Wave BurgerFast food burgers came to the UK in the late 1960s and introducedthe consumer to the first wave of burgers. Forty years later and thesecond wave of burger hit the UK, providing consumers with a highquality and higher priced product. The new wave in burgers takes thequality levels even higher yet maintains an affordable average price.Emerging concepts already leading the 3rd wave include Meatliquorand the US chain Smashburger.FreshFresh produce, fresh ingredients and freshly cooked food will beincreasingly important as consumers look to improve the qualityof food they consume as well as embrace healthier lifestyles. Freshis one of the key indicators of healthy to the UK consumer. Theonus will be on operators to avoid pre-packed produce and for theinnovative chains to venture into own-grown and foraging ingredients.Vegetarian/FlexitarianThe emerging trend encouraging Britons to reduce their meat intakeby embracing one meat-free day per week will develop into a significantinterest in searching out interesting and appealing vegetable-baseddishes, especially when eating out. Allegra expects a wave of smallvegetarian or vegetable-focused chains to emerge in the next five yearsto answer this increasing trend.1011