Numbers going out to lunch up 50%

The number of people going out for lunch when at work has risen by 50% between 2013 and 2015 according to new research from Bord Bia which highlights Irish consumers’ changing behaviours and attitudes towards food, grocery shopping and cooking.

According to its latest bi-annual Periscope 2015 survey, 12% of people now go out to eat lunch where it was only 8% in 2013.

The same research uncovered the fact that one in three (35%) survey respondents rarely have time for breakfast which may highlight an opportunity for pubs serving breakfasts or even offering a takeaway breakfast.

Similarly those entertaining at home more often nowadays have fallen from 27% in 2013 to 25% in 2015, perhaps indicating an easing off of the brakes on the going-out entertainment budget. Indeed Ireland ranks the lowest for the percentage of people who’re entertaining at home more often these days.

Since 2001, Bord Bia’s biennial Periscope study has bexplored consumer attitudes towards topics such as eating at home, cooking, local food, sustainability and health and wellbeing.

Periscope 2015 surveyed eight markets – Ireland and Great Britain, four Continental European markets as well as the US and – for the first time – China.

In total, the research encompasses more than 8,000 respondents across these eight markets.