OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom—Seventy-six percent of vegetarians in the United Kingdom are not happy with the choice of foods available to them in fast-food restaurants, according to a new survey from MMR Research Worldwide conducted for National Vegetarian Week 2010. Of the 357 vegetarians polled, nearly half said they were happy with the choices offered at pubs and restaurants but there still was considerable opportunity to better satisfy the vegetarian market.
“It does not come as a surprise that fast food restaurants do not score as highly with vegetarians as non-vegetarians,” said Mat Lintern, managing director of MMR Research Worldwide. “Vegetarians are more likely to choose healthy products and they are motivated by products with no artificial ingredients, that are ethical, free range, low fat and organic, and that are sustainably produced using recyclable packaging. Many of these attributes conflict with common perceptions of fast food outlets and family restaurant chains.”
The findings also highlight ways in which restaurants could grow sales by more strongly pursuing vegetarian diners.
“When asked how fast-food restaurants could improve, 49 percent of consumers want an improved choice of non-meat (including meat substitute) options. Just over 20 percent ask for greater flexibility in menu choices, meaning the ability to swap certain meal components for others and 18 percent want healthier options. We believe better burger style product could be a way forward because we know that over 90 percent of vegetarians regularly eat meat substitutes, as well as salad bar formats that allow diners to make their own selections. On the basis of these findings, we would urge fast-food brands to re-evaluate new product development and conduct more research to better understand the requirements of vegetarians in order to create foods specially designed to fit their needs.”
