CGA’s service, which provides suppliers and operators with insights into meal sales and food trends across the On Premise, shows a fifth (20.7%) of mains sales by value last week came from steak dishes—eight percentage points higher than the figure in the equivalent week in 2019 (12.5%).
Burgers were the next most popular item with 16.6% of sales, up from 14.4% in 2019. Roast dinners (14.9%), chicken dishes (8.5%) and fish and chips (5.2%) completed last week’s list of top five choices, all with shares similar to May 2019.
The MealMetrics research also shows a notable shift towards starters last week. They took a 17.3% share of food sales, nearly double the figure in 2019 (9.1%), while mains’ share dipped nine percentage points to 65.8%.
“After so long away from pubs and restaurants, consumers are going back to the tried and trusted dishes that they have missed,” says Andrew Dean, CGA’s client director, hospitality operators and food, EMEA. “We are likely to see shares change as consumers settle back into eating out and perhaps become more exploratory, and staying on top of people’s preferences is going to be crucial in the weeks ahead.”
CGA’s MealMetrics research analyses more than £9bn of till sales data to give suppliers and operators many more insights into dishes and drinks on menus, including distribution, rate of sale, average prices and seasonal trends.
For more about the MealMetrics service and how it can support businesses with sales and marketing strategies, email andrew.dean@cgastrategy.com.
