Indian cuisine has been reported to hold a 42% market share worth £556 million of the ethnic food retail industry in the UK and is a popular choice in and out of the home, for adults aged 25–44 yrs( Reference Mintel 1 , Reference Leung2 ). Consumer research has revealed that a mix of residents not only experience pleasure or enjoyment with Indian cuisine consumption, but also attach strong personal and cultural values( Reference White and Kokotsaki 3 ). The Lincolnshire-based Healthy Takeaways project (Part II) aimed to engage with regular consumers of Indian cuisine to: 1) understand and group consumer motivations and behaviour toward Indian cuisine, and 2) inquire on the consumer acceptability of increasing healthier options with this style of cuisine at restaurants or takeaways.
Surveys were conducted (n 254) with regular consumers and residents (female: n 130, male: n 124) in a city located in the north-east of England. Ages categories of respondents were:<25 yrs: n 58, 25–34 yrs: n 46, 35–44 yrs: n 55, 45–55 yrs: n 37,>55 yrs: n 58. The survey focused on Indian cuisine by using both open and closed questions for generate responses on consumption frequency, popular food selection and potential options regarding healthier changes to the cuisine preparation and menu advertising. Cluster analysis was conducted to populate distinct homogeneous segments which share common characteristics from the survey data.
Results outline a 5 group customer segmentation model based with the following labels: Grappling with guilt (33%, n 84); Young and guilt free (26%, n 66); Healthy eaters, occasional consumers (19%, n 48); Food hedonists (18%, n 46), and; Very health conscious (4%, n 10). Three groups showed a higher level of appeal for selecting or accepting healthier options at restaurants and takeaways: Grappling with guilt; Healthy eaters, occasional consumers, and; Very health conscious (overall 56%, n 142). The grouping profiles and associated viewpoints, regarding changes to promote healthier changes and options, are summarised in the table.
The findings suggest changes to promote healthier restaurant and takeaway food may be receptive to a large segment of the regular Indian cuisine consumer-base. It is likely that customers will respond to a range of options to promote healthy eating at these premises.
