Health dividend is in our hands

Leon, the company giving fast food in London a green and healthy makeover, picked up another award at the weekend. It beat off competition from restaurants in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Monaco and Russia to win the Golden Palm trophy presented annually to the Europe’s hottest concept by the International Leaders Club, representing senior executives in the foodservice market across the continent. It is not the first time that Leon has been feted by its peers in the eating-out sector. The industry obviously loves what it is doing in its London stores, introducing food that not only does you good but tastes good too. Yet despite the recognition, a large swathe of the market, particularly in Britain, still appears reluctant to embrace its healthy ethos. In a week when obesity and alcohol consumption came back to the top of the news agenda, the eating-out market as a whole still gives the impression of being half-hearted about healthiness. Channel 4’s Dispatches programme pointed the finger at Britain’s growing eating-out culture for being a factor in the nation’s obesity epidemic, berating restaurants for not coming clean over the calorific and fat content of menus. Which? magazine followed up in similar vein highlighting the calories in Starbucks’ large white chocolate mocha with whip, made with whole milk. It turns out to be 628 calories - a third of an average woman’s daily requirement. The fact that a medium-sized black Americano has only 17 calories failed to gain as much media impact. These stories came against the background of renewed concerns about the level of alcohol consumption among the middle classes and the launch of the government’s latest £372m anti-obesity initiative, including a package of support for parents. There is an argument that making the nation eat, or drink, healthily is not the role of restaurants or pubs, rather the personal responsibility of consumers themselves. It is a reasonable position. But how can customers make those decisions when eating-out when so many chains give no clues to the calorific, salt, fat or sugar content of what is being consumed – not to mention where the products are sourced? That is, of course, easier said that done. The supermarkets have much easier calculations to make when assembling pre-packed meals than labelling freshly cooked dishes straight from the kitchen, and there is also no evidence that consumers really want full ingredient disclosure on their menus on a night out. But shouldn’t we be making more efforts to at least move towards a more informed position? Putting the alcohol content of wine on menus, for example, would be an easy win. Our own research at Peach Factory shows that health is not one of the main factors for customers when choosing where to eat out. But it still ranks highly as an issue. Most people, and particularly women, think it is important, and that it will only grow in importance. The truth is that healthiness increasingly underpins those core issues of quality, service and value that attract customers. And when it comes to eating out, salt, sugar and fat, and by association calorific, content are the most important factors for consumers, according to the same research. There is also a PR issue. The restaurant and pub industry too often appears on the back foot over these issues. Why can’t we be seen to be taking the initiative for once and be just a little ahead of the consumer demand curve rather than lagging behind? It is also worth stealing a march before someone thinks about legislating – such as banning fast food stores from the proximity to schools. We talk about our nation of “healthy hedonists” who constantly wrestle with trying to balance their desires for indulgence and goodness in what they eat. Without giving up on delivering enjoyment, we could perhaps do a little more to recognise their healthier needs? The Leon model may not suit all markets, but the industry’s obvious admiration for its enterprise and popularity should surely stretch to adopting at least a few of its guiding principles. Peter Martin is co-creator of M&C Report and founder of Peach Factory