Brits are spending £76 million every day on eating out for breakfast, according to a new survey by Beacon, the leading purchasing company. The research reveals that one in three people eat breakfast outside the home at least once a week, with 9.6million people eating out every day.
Almost half of those surveyed eat breakfast out more now than they did five years ago, and on average Brits are now spending £7.31 on breakfast outside of the home, with an indulgent 1% of those asked splashing out more than £21.
Brits’ penchant for breakfast remains strong, with 80% considering breakfast to be the most important meal of the day – and quoting a number of different reasons why they choose to eat breakfast outside of the home.
Breakfast Motivations (respondents were asked to choose all that apply to them)
| Weekend treat with family / friends | 47% |
| Staying at a hotel | 47% |
| Convenience | 26% |
| Travelling to work | 14% |
| Business meetings | 10% |
| Other | 6% |
Furthermore, it appears that Brits are starting to consider breakfast as a key time to choose to eat out, with 76% less likely to eat out for lunch or dinner if they’ve chosen to eat out for breakfast.
Invest in your breakfast offer
Paul Connelly, Managing Director at Beacon, commented:
“This research into our morning eating habits has proven that breakfast, considered to be the most important meal of the day, is a multi-billion pound a year industry, with £76million being spent by Brits every day. With almost half of those asked eating out for breakfast now more than they did five years ago, across all age groups, this trend can be seen as indicative of growing consumer confidence, which in turns signals a continued boost to the UK’s economy. These results in turn should give assurance to the UK’s hospitality market and impetus to invest in their breakfast offer to ensure that growing customer expectations are met.”
Top tips to consider for a profitable breakfast
Based on these results, as well as data from Beacon customers, Emma Warrington, Senior Buyer at Beacon, has put together her top tips for those in the foodservice industry to consider for a profitable breakfast:
Capitalise on healthier options
“Our customers are telling us that healthier options at breakfast are hugely popular, with 81% of those asked telling us that they have seen a real increase in the popularity of healthy options at breakfast over the past twelve months. There is real scope for hotels and restaurants to capitalise on this trend, and set themselves apart from their competition – think juice bars, low carb options and smaller portions.
How important is local produce?
“While 79% of those asked in our customer base said that local produce was an important part of their menu, data from our consumer survey shows that customers are decidedly ‘on the fence’, with 54% of respondents saying they may or may not be more likely to order breakfast from somewhere that uses local produce.
“At Beacon, we work closely with both national and regional suppliers across the country to give customers the option of localised supply. Whilst the findings do not show an overwhelming consumer support for hyper localised sourcing, we would argue that supporting your regional suppliers is not just about appealing to your guests, but giving back to your communities and supporting regional economies. Sometimes the perception is that regional suppliers are a lot more costly, which isn’t always the case – always research your options, and if you are using local, ensure you are effectively communicating this to your guests!
The Full English reigns supreme
“Overall, we’re traditionalists at heart and the English cooked breakfast reigns supreme, with 65% of people choosing it as their ‘go to’ breakfast when outside the home. This is a figure that is echoed by our customers, with most of those surveyed telling us that they had not seen a decline in sales of the fry up. As important as it is to vary your menu and keep it exciting, there should always be a place for the classics.”