Vegan and vegetarian takeaway orders have more than doubled since 2016: study
The rise in takeaway restaurants has led to limited access to skilled workers.
Orders of takeaway vegan food have increased by 388% since 2016 whilst orders of vegetarian food have also increased by 136%, according to new research commissioned by the British Takeaway Campaign (BTC).
BTC also reported that takeaway orders of different cuisines such as Greek (69%), Caribbean (56%), Persian (34%) and Thai (24%) have increased in the past two years.
The report said that the increase in orders of healthy food and different cuisines is part of an explosion in the growth of the takeaway sector, driven by new technology and changing consumer habits.
According to a research by Retail Economics, overall consumer spending on takeaways has increased by 18 per cent to £12.5bn in 2018, from £10.6bn in 2015, with the sector growing at roughly twice the rate of the overall economy. This growth is expected to continue into the next decade, with £15bn forecast to be spent by 2023.
The research also found that an average household spent £38 per month on takeaways in 2018 – a 25% rise over the last decade.
The number of takeaway restaurants has also increased by 25 percent since 2015 – from 30,189 to 37,732.
Access to skilled workers an ‘area of concern’
However, takeaway owners say that access to skilled workers is an “acute area of concern”.
Ajmal Mushtaq, owner of Mushtaqs in Scotland, said he had problems with his staff when he opened his own business: “Within five years of opening our doors, we employed 60 people. But since 2014, growth has plateaued because we’re unable to recruit chefs from the local workforce. We need better support from the government to allow businesses to grow".
BTC, who represents “those involved in the supply and preparation of the nation’s favourite foods”, has asked the government to upskill British workers and mirror Australia’s immigration system which recognises chefs as of strategic long-term value to the economy.
This would allow takeaway owners to recruit skilled chefs from abroad while more young people from the UK study for the necessary qualifications.
“Staffing is undoubtedly the biggest issue for us. The type of food we serve demands specialist chefs, which is a skillset not many UK-trained caterers currently possess. We’ve had to look abroad for our chefs, but the current government restrictions have been a huge barrier. We hope that any future changes to the rules will allow us to bring in the chefs we need so we can keep serving our community,” Rahul Sharme, Director of the Regency Club, Edgware, said.
Photo credit: British Takeaway Campaign Twitter
