Meal delivery up 10% with British cuisine most popular

Meal delivery frequency has grown 10% week on week, with consumers now ordering it on average 2.3 times a week.

The findings are revealed in MCA’s weekly Pulse Update, which covers consumer ordering last week.

It reveals ‘British’ is currently the most popular cuisine type, and favoured by 23% of consumers who are turning to comfort food such as pie and pubs roasts during lockdown.

This represents a rise of 13 percentage points (pps) in popularity since MCA’s Delivery report, when British cuisine was named favourite by eight percent.

Fish and chips is not part of this category, and alongside chicken shops was preferred by 6% of consumers.

Katie Prowse, MCA insights manager, said: “With delivery and takeaway the only available routes to market for foodservice operators, many community-led pubs and cafes have adapted to offer delivery, resulting in an increase in the availability of British cuisine. Consumers who may have visited their local pub for a Sunday roast, may opt to continue to support them by ordering delivery.”

Burgers (15%), pizza (11%), Indian (10%) and Chinese (10%) made the top five preferred cuisine types.

Just Eat remains the most popular ordering platform, with 54% penetration in the last seven days.

Deliveroo and Uber Eats are level on 22%, while Gousto, the meal kit service, has entered the top five, with 13% coverage.