Do It Yourself

Britain is a fast-food nation. The fast-food market is worth an estimated £2.5bn a year, according the marketing analysts Mintel. Britain’s first takeaway opened in Mossley, near Oldham, way back in 1863; it was a fish and chip shop.

Ethnic food is the largest sector, with a 40 percent share of the market with Indian and Chinese food restaurants integral players in the industry. Tikka masala is officially the nation’s favourite dish, and it’s no wonder seeing the sheer size of the Indian food industry in the UK, in which 60,000 staff are employed. Of the top ten best selling Indian takeaways only one doesn’t contain chicken. Lamb pasanda is a north India dish with a rich creamy sauce, this sits at ninth place as the nation’s favourite. Macdonalds dominants the global fast-food market. Britain’s first outlet opened in Woolwich, south-east London in 1974; the 1000^th opened at the Millennium Dome. Subway and the sandwich market have identified a niche in the fast-food industry. The sandwich chain plans to open a further 2,000 outlets across the UK. Meanwhile Domino’s says it plans to open a further 50 stores in 2010 after profits rose to £23.4 million in 2009. This expansion should create around 1,500 new jobs in the UK and Ireland. KFC have also enjoyed recent success, claiming to offer a family meal ‘for less than a tenner’ may be the reason; the fried chicken specialists will pump £150 million into it’s chain in the coming year. Meanwhile, takeaway Birmingham has seen a huge increase of 15% percent. While take away Liverpool have enjoyed growth.

The growth in the fast-food sector has had a negative knock-on effect, with pricey Whole Foods Market struggling since it opened in Britain. But foreign businesses like Aldi and Lidl have seen profits soar.

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