British food remains the country’s most popular cuisine, according to new data from booking platform Bookatable—a finding backed up by separate CGA Peach data.
Bookatable’s Quarterly Dining Trends report found that British food now accounts for 27% of its bookings—substantially up from 12% in 2014-15. Italian, steaks and grills, American and French were the next most popular cuisines.
CGA Peach data meanwhile shows that 39 million people—or 84% of the population—have eaten at a British-style eating-out brand in the last six months. It compares to 23 million people—or 49% of the population—who have eaten at Italian-style brands.
Overall, Bookatable reported a 103% rise in bookings between 2014 and 2016, with casual dining and chain restaurants well ahead of the average with 125% and 133% increases respectively.
Bookatable also identified a growing preference for short-notice bookings, with 31% of its reservations now made within 24 hours of dining. The trend is likely to have been driven by people using their mobile devices to make spontaneous bookings while on the move.
