Across the three countries, 80% of those surveyed said they were either likely or very likely to try new cuisines when dining out. AAK Foodservice says this means there is space on menus to experiment with world flavour and ensure there’s something exciting to entice new customers.
The survey also revealed half of all diners enjoyed eating hot and spicy foods either a lot or a great deal, which ties in with research suggesting hot sauces have hugely grown in popularity. Though diners said they were interested in trying Caribbean or Greek cuisine the next time they ate out, the most popular food types they currently enjoy eating are Asian flavours.
Though Chinese and Indian foods were very popular, newer cuisines like Thai and Korean were also noted as favourites by the diners involved in the research. AAK Foodservice said other trends to look out for are hot and spicy foods and barbecue foods.
Rachel Neale, marketing director at AAK Foodservice, said: “The popularity of street food has hugely influenced the kinds of food enjoyed by diners. At street food events and markets, people can all pick and choose from very varied kinds of cuisines, and increasingly customers are looking for this kind of diverse taste experience when they eat out.
“This includes dishes inspired by world flavours, as well as foods from different places across the world in starters and desserts, as well as main dishes. The preferences of diners have become really varied - everyone loves something different, and diverse menus can help to cater for more varied tastes and dietary needs.”