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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From pub grub to Chinese… Brits favourite cuisines when eating out revealed

Hungry Brits spend the equivalent of more than five hours EVERY year - deciding where to eat, it has emerged

Millions of diners are shying away from trying new foods because they can’t decide what to go for, according to new research.

And although we describe ourselves a nation of foodies, with the average Brit dining out at least once a month, the results found six in 10 play their meal choices "safe" by eating at the same places, time and time again.

 Brits spend up to five hours a year thinking about food
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Brits spend up to five hours a year thinking about foodCredit: Getty - Contributor

The research was conducted by Meerkat Meals, who created a unique ‘Restaurant Roulette’ tool to help diners decide what to eat by picking from a list of cuisines.

Julie Daniels of Compare the Market said: “Everyone loves dining out, and with such a wide selection of restaurants and cuisines so easily accessible, we’re a nation spoilt for choice.

“However, the seemingly-simple question of 'What do you want to eat?’ can often become an excruciating conversation, and this in turn is meaning many are finding the whole experience difficult."

The study also found a common barrier to trying new eateries is the size of the dining group, with nearly half of those polled saying it's harder to pick a restaurant when eating out with four or more people.

TOP 10 CUISINES BRITS CHOOSE WHEN DINING OUT

THESE are the types of food Brits prefer when eating out:

1. Pub food
2. Italian
3. Chinese
4. Indian
5. American
6. Mexican
7. Thai
8. Spanish
9. Mediterranean
10. French

It also emerged choosing where to eat in a group takes on average 25 minutes, which mounts up to over five hours over a year.

The pressure of deciding where to eat amongst a group can even take the fun out of the evening, with almost half of diners saying choosing a restaurant that everyone likes takes the fun out of the experience.

The research also found diners much prefer to eat out when the choice of restaurant is taken out of their own hands.

More than one third agreed it was much easier when somebody else chose the dining destination.

TOP 10 CUISINES BRITS WOULD LIKE TO TRY MORE OF WHEN DINING OUT

HAVE you ever tried any of these?

1. Caribbean
2. Thai
3. Greek
4. Japanese
5. Chinese
6. Mediterranean
7. Moroccan
8. Spanish
9. Mexican
10. Vietnamese

And when it comes to the culinary desires of the nation, Caribbean came out as the cuisine people would most like to try, with a fifth of diners saying it was on top of their “to-try” list.

Try the restaurant roulette tool .

We've revealed before how Domino's charges up to 70p MORE for pizzas on its menu compared to ordering a "Create Your Own" version with exactly the same ingredients.

You could be forking out up to 33 per cent more for your pizza when you order from four top takeaway chains according to where they live.

Pizza lovers in London and Surrey will be paying up to £4 MORE for their favourite dishthan someone ordering the same one in Liverpool, research found.

McDonald's ad for The French Stack: Limited edition burger with two beef patties and garlic mayo served in a garlic bun


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