Ethical issues have dominated the headlines in recent years, as well as supermarket shelves and business plans alike. However, the ways in which companies are choosing to adopt ethical issues are rather varied. For instance, although there is a growing niche market of entirely eco-friendly restaurants, the majority will choose to adopt one ethical source and issue but not another. The most notable examples of this are high-end restaurants that may source sustainable fish but also offer foie gras on the menu, whilst mid-market restaurants are tending to offer either fair trade coffee and tea or free-range poultry where financially feasible.

Now a highly marketable commodity, this report examines consumers’ commitment to ethical issues when eating out.

Issues in the Market

Main issues

Definition

Abbreviations

Market in Brief

Consumers don’t think about ethical issues when eating out

I’ll eat what I want

Is it all for show?

What’s in it for me?

Who will benefit?

Local and regional produce

Organic

Animal welfare

Broad Market Environment

Key Points

Figure 1: Agreement with selected lifestyle statements, 2002-06

Waste not, want not

Animal testing

Fashion status

Is it all for show?

Figure 2: Trends in personal disposable income and consumer expenditure, 2002-11

Figure 3: Trends in the UK population, by age, 2002-11

Figure 4: Trends in the adult population*, by socio-economic group, 2002-12

Figure 5: Trends in the adult population*, by lifestage, 2002-12

Figure 6: Estimated UK sales of ethical foods, 2002-06

Figure 7: Important factors when deciding whether to take environmental and ethical issues into consideration in daily life, October 2006

Local/Regional Sourcing

Key Points

Figure 8: UK registered food names, 2007

Key Points

Soil Association events

Examples of operators

Case study: The Duke of Cambridge Organic Pub, London

Background

Policy

Food and drink

Fair Trade

Key Points

The Fairtrade Mark

Fairtrade Fortnight

Within the restaurant and eating out market

A few negatives

Animal Welfare Issues

Key Points

Fast food

Foie gras

Case study: The Owl and the Pussycat, Devon

Background

Policy

Food and drink

Sustainable Sourcing

Key Points

Case study: Meat

Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST)

Background

Policy

Case study: Fish

Loch Fyne

Background

Policy

Charitable Contributions

Key Points

On consumers’ behalf

Corporate goodwill

Restaurants Against Hunger

Background

Policy

Case studies: Training restaurants

Acorn House Restaurant, London

Background

Policy

Fifteen Foundation

Background

Policy

Operating Environmentally

Key points:

Examples of green initiatives:

Waste management

Case study: Bordeaux Quay, Bristol

Background

Policy

Food and drink

Trade Associations

DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Fairtrade Foundation

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)

MSC (the Marine Stewardship Council)

Slow Food Movement

Soil Association

SUSTAIN (the alliance for better food and farming)

Establishing Eating Out Habits

Key Points

Venues visited

Figure 9: Venues visited for a meal out, November 2006

The male bias of ethnic restaurants

Adapting ethical concerns for the price-conscious consumer

Frequency of eating out

Figure 10: Frequency of eating out, November 2006

It’s true what they say about men

Detailed demographics - venues visited and frequency of eating out

Figure 11: Most popular venues visited for a meal out, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, detailed lifestage groups, presence of children, region, ACORN category, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Figure 12: Next most popular venues visited for a meal out, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, region, ACORN category, detailed lifestage groups, presence of children, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Figure 13: Frequency of eating out, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, working status, region, ACORN category, detailed lifestage groups, presence of children, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Influential Factors in Eating Out

Key Points

Figure 14: Influential factors to eating out, November 2006

What’s in it for me?

Money matters

Building on established loyalty

Figure 15: Most popular influential factors to eating out, by venues visited, November 2006

Free-range Jalfrezi

Figure 16: Next most popular influential factors to eating out, by venues visited, November 2006

Influential factors to eating out - detailed demographics

Figure 17: Most popular influential factors to eating out, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children, detailed lifestage groups, working status, region, ACORN category, car usage, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Figure 18: Next most popular influential factors to eating out, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children, detailed lifestage groups, working status, region, ACORN category, car usage, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Ranking Ethical Concerns

Key Points

Figure 19: Preferred menu additions, November 2006

Not-so-charitable contributions

Sustainability issues

Money, money, money

The demands of youth

Guilt-driven

Tapping into the retired community through provenance

Italian/pizza/pasta restaurants good platform for organic and fair trade

Figure 20: Preferred menu additions, by venues visited, November 2006

Communication is key

Figure 21: Preferred menu additions, by influential factors to eating out, November 2006

What’s in it for me?

Figure 22: Preferred menu additions, by preferred menu additions, November 2006

Preferred menu additions - detailed demographics

Figure 23: Preferred menu additions, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children, detailed lifestage groups, working status, region, ACORN category, car usage, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006

Usage of Ethical Produce

Key Points

Figure 24: Use of ethical products, November 2006

Eating what they want to

Ethical foods confined to the home

The bottom line

Ethical products synonymous with healthy eating

Figure 25: Use of ethical products, by venues visited, November 2006

The carefree eat out less frequently

Figure 26: Use of ethical products, by venues visited, November 2006

Striving forward using knowledgeable staff

Figure 27: Use of ethical products, by influential factors to eating out, November 2006

Free-range and organic produce keep amongst the keenest ethical diners

Figure 28: Use of ethical products, by preferred menu options, November 2006

Use of ethical products - detailed demographics

Figure 29: Usage of ethical products, by gender, age, socio-economic group, marital status, presence of children, detailed lifestage groups, working status, region, ACORN category, car usage, media usage, Internet usage, supermarket usage and commercial TV viewing, November 2006