Wing Yip – the UK’s leading Oriental food grocer, conducted a survey on over 3,000 people for its Oriental Food Trends Report, and combined with recent industry statistics, the results provide a detailed look at the current influences on taste, flavour and eating habits and demonstrate that the UK’s love for Oriental food continues to grow.
Despite changing palates and the diverse mix of cuisines now available in the UK, Chinese food is still the number one favourite when it comes to Oriental food. A whopping 94% of British adults have eaten Chinese food in their lifetime, this may not come as a huge surprise, being a typical Friday night meal of choice amongst a lot of people in the UK. In fact, around four in 10 adults have an Oriental takeaway at least once a month.
The most popular Oriental dish is Sweet and Sour Chicken. Thai Green Curry is the second most popular, Chicken Chow Mein third, Sushi comes in at number four and Oriental Crispy Duck is at number five. These top choices stem from the increased number of UK citizens travelling to the Far East each year. When creating the Oriental Food Report, Wing Yip discovered consumers who travel to Asia are far more likely to eat traditional Asian cuisine back at home. For example, more than 70% of those who have visited Thailand enjoy eating Thai food in the UK. In the case of Japan, the contrast is even more marked – 55% of those who have travelled to Japan enjoy Japanese cuisine, compared to only one-in-five of the UK’s wider population.
There are more than 4,000 Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants in the UK – that’s one in six of the nation’s restaurant count and the numbers keep growing. Wing Yip has had to keep up with the continued development of the UK’s taste buds as well as the need for vegetarian and vegan alternatives, so it’s always adapting and extending its range to adhere to these demands and offers a wide variety of choice when it comes to authentic, ready-made stocks and sauces which fall within the freefrom category.
A popular and versatile line, particularly within the readymade sauce category, is the Mai Siam Thai range. With over 20 products to choose from, Mai Siam sauces offer operators a quick and convenient way for chefs to enhance flavour and deliver high quality dishes. The range is gluten free with no added MSG and the majority of products are also suitable for vegans.
Wing Yip started out nearly 50 years ago supplying genuine Chinese ingredients and produce to the restaurant trade, but now, through its superstores and online store, all of its customers, including ordinary shoppers, are buying an ever-expanding range of Oriental food products from across South-East Asia.
This report highlights that whilst Chinese food remains a firm favourite, consumers are becoming far more adventurous in their tastes with more Pan- Asian restaurants to choose from.
With Oriental superstores in Manchester, Birmingham, Croydon and Cricklewood, as well as an online store, Wing Yip makes authentic Oriental cuisine readily available in the UK. From simple Chinese sauces and Thai cooking pastes, to Japanese sushi ingredients and Indonesian seasonings, Wing Yip has everything you need for a homemade Oriental feast.
WING YIP
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