Seafood in the

Foodservice Sector

13th March 2015

Presented by: Caroline Hughes &

Sam Bannister

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Background to the research

In order to fully understand the role of seafood in foodservice we conducted research into

each of the following areas:

Consumer understanding

Trade positioning

College and training environments

Our objectives

To understand the barriers to increasing the presence of

seafood on menus and in the foodservice sector generally

To achieve a holistic understanding of the sustainability,

provenance and ethical certification needs of foodservice

throughout the supply chain

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We conducted multiple stages of research

Quantitative online

Interviews

N: 2,000 x 5 minute

nat rep survey

Instantly mobile app Meal decision making

20 households across the UK

Whole family depths 6 selected from app

respondents

Through the keyhole

immersion Going into restaurants

Trade tele-depths

College days 2 sessions in

catering colleges

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This morning we would like to share our insights from the consumer

element of the research…

We’re going to talk you through the appeal of fish

and seafood in the customers’ eyes…

They are in control of demand, and their lack of

appetite for fish is hugely powerful

Supplier

Head Office

Manager

Chef College/lecturer

Can be one

and the same

Consumer

What do we know about consumers’ relationship

with seafood out of home?

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With over half the population claiming to eat out of home at least once

a week, the opportunity to encourage more fish consumption is ripe

Most days, 8%

A couple of times a week, 23%

Once a week, 22%

Once a fortnight, 17%

Once a month, 15%

Once every few months, 9%

Less than every couple of months,

5%

Q1. On average, how often, if at all, do you eat out of home? Single responses

Base: 2012 (All Sample)

% Frequency eating out of home Includes cafes, takeaways, restaurants, pubs

Younger respondents and

those living in London,

most affluent

55+, more of a limited

budget

Those with kids in the

household, catch up with

friends

Let’s see what they’re eating, and where fish

fits in the repertoire

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Unsurprisingly, fish and seafood lose out to more familiar proteins,

particularly chicken and beef when choosing from the menu

Q2a: Which of the following foods would you ever order from a menu when eating out of home? Which would

you be most likely to order? Multiple responses Base: 2012 (All sample)

% Foods ever ordered/most likely to order when eating out of home

87%

76%

72%

61%

58%

42%

38%

29%

34%

21%

12%

9%

4%

4%

4%

2%

Chicken

Beef

Fish

Lamb

Pork

Vegetarian option

Shellfish

Game

Ever order

Order most often

Chicken is often a safe option

Steak in particular seen as the

most treaty menu item

Vegetarian ordered more by women

So what are the barriers and drivers to fish and seafood…?

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For those not consuming fish and seafood OOH, sensory elements are

the biggest barriers to choosing

Don’t like

the taste

Don’t like

bones

Not sure

I’ll like it

31% 26% 18% 17%

Don’t like

the smell

Concerns over

freshness/

quality

13%

Q5: Why do you not order fish or seafood when eating out of home?

Base: 508 (Those who claim not to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)

I just prefer other

things – I’m not a

fish lover

The smell puts me off

straight away – I can’t

stand being around fish

that’s cooking

I will only eat fish

in certain

restaurants,

where I trust them

to do it right

It’s just the uncertainty. With other meats you know

where you stand. Fish often has flavours and

ingredients that you don’t know… before you even

think about the type of fish itself

The 3 in 10 (28%) diners who claim never to order fish / seafood don’t present a major opportunity.

Just ensure they have access to simple options (cut) and flavoursome recipes

% Why fish or seafood is not eaten out of home?

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Motivations for choosing fish OOH indicate it’s often seen as a lighter,

healthier option vs. other proteins, and it’s challenging to cook at home

Q3b: What is the main reason for ordering fish or seafood when eating out of home? (Responses over 5%)

Base: 1504 (Those who claim to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)

Tasty Healthy For a

change

Something

new

28% 17% 15% 9%

Lighter than meat - 8%

Others at home don’t like - 8%

Wouldn’t know how to cook at home - 6%

You just cant beat a

nicely cooked bit of

fish in a restaurant…

the taste is something

you can’t replicate!

It’s a healthier choice, compared

to red meats or pork. Often the

dishes on the whole are

healthier – less calories and fat

in the things with it

For me, it’s the first thing I look at.

It’s something we eat less of in the

home, so I like to give something a

try when I’m eating out

It’s often the part of the menu where

you are most likely to find something

you haven’t tried before…

% Reasons for ordering fish and seafood out of the home?

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Drivers to fish and seafood OOH: consumers in their own words

Vox pops here

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Among fish eaters, barriers to ordering more often indicate it needs

to be accessible and easy to eat

Don’t like

bones

Too

expensive

Not a treat

vs. other

options

35% 34% 29% 17%

Lack of

choice on

menu

Don’t know

if I’ll like it

17%

Q4: What stops you from ordering fish or seafood more often when eating out of home?

Base: 1504 (Those who claim to order fish or shellfish at Q2a)

I love fish, but it’s the

unknown… and once I find a

bone in fish, that’s me done! There are often cheaper

things on the menu

It’s not like a piece of

beef or chicken,

where you know you

will like it. It has

other things involved,

like smell and texture

It is, fundamentally, quite a healthy option…

not good if you want naughty or ‘stodge’

So fish eaters choose it because it’s tasty, new and a change, but they’re put off from eating more of

it because there’s little choice available to them

Let’s look at this in more detail…

18-24

yr olds

Encouragingly, consumers show an appetite to see more diverse dishes on menus

% Barriers to eating fish and seafood out of home

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Barriers to fish and seafood OOH: consumers in their own words

Vox pops here

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Menus and front of house staff need to work hard to

encourage and support

Inspired

Diners need

information so they

can feel reassured

they’re making the

right, informed,

decision Want to experiment

Enjoy diversity

Push the taste

Trust the expert

Unfamiliar species avoided

“Posh” food confuses and

alienates

Light options unsatisfying

Fear of unknown

It’s certainly a balancing act, but the key is to reassure on suitability:

taste, flavour and texture, portion size / satisfaction, ease of eat (cuts, preparation).

Using ingredients to provide both reassurance and variety

Net % more likely to choose fish / seafood if…

There’s a description of the taste – 44%

There’s a description of the texture – 30%

I know what the health benefits are – 31%

Safe

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So where does sustainability fit in? There is a reason we haven’t

mentioned it yet…

It’s simply not on the agenda for the majority of diners

Few actively seeking out information

An element of trust placed in the chain / restaurant / chef

to be ‘doing the right thing’

But on prompting:

49% claim knowing the

fish / seafood is from a

sustainable source

would make them more

likely to choose

Restaurants can talk about sustainability

But the fundamental challenge is to encourage more

fish consumption by reassuring on satisfaction,

taste, ease of eat, and by pairing fish and seafood

with enticing ingredients

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Encouraging consumers to eat more fish is a big challenge that

expands beyond limits of the foodservice sector

Challenge perceptions and educate consumers

Move beyond reliance on a ‘fish is healthy’

message

Base communications around benefits to them

• Fish is tasty, satisfying, enjoyable, it’s not

just the light, healthy option

A dual strategy is needed:

Broaden repertoires and reduce reliance on age-

old favourites

Use a positive tone and message

• Delicious, satisfying alternatives >

sustainability

Work throughout the consumer journey to raise

awareness

• Retail, education, foodservice

So what does this mean for establishments?

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It can be a challenge to educate consumers on

sustainability and different species in the restaurant

environment, but there are other opportunities…

Let’s have a look at the opportunities by establishment type

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How fish features:

Fish and Chips as the ‘pub grub’ favourite

Tokenistic ‘healthy option’

Limited consumer expectation of fish

choices – species and type of meal

How they are being used:

Functional – on the go, filling a void, cant be bothered to cook

Family friendly – entertainment for children, quick service

Safe option – something for everyone, stick to favourites

Value for money – large, hearty portions

Fish and Chips meets

consumer needs – species is

not questioned. Descriptions

around size and way of

cooking are most motivating

e.g. jumbo, hand cut, gourmet

- so focus on these

Encourage the use of sustainable fish in the ‘family

favourite’ fish and chips for pub chains

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High Street Chains can tempt with dish descriptions

rather than a species focus

How they are being used:

Socialising - accessible for larger groups of people

Celebrations – e.g. work leaving parties, teenage birthday meals

Safe option – well liked cuisine types, but open to trying new dishes

Part of an event – e.g. along with cinema

Younger audience

How fish features:

Increasing inclusion of seafood

Used as starter / small dishes

Specialist / more adventurous ways

of cooking

Focus on flavour over type of protein

Introduce different

species/sustainable fish options

with a focus on delivering and

communicating on an overall

tempting meal description

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Specialist chains should avoid committing to always

delivering on specific species

How they are being used:

Planned/special occasion

Can be the full night event

A ‘foody’ choice – more thought put into ‘cuisine’ decision

Adult option – older families, couples meeting

How fish features:

More prominent on menu – e.g. its own

section

Naming of species/provenance

Some mentions of sustainability

Larger variety of main meal options

Specials boards

Use of specials boards to

avoid having to commit

to a specific species, and

create a distinct sense of

specialism around the

fish offer

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Small independents could use trust they have with loyal

customers to promote new unique options

How they are being used:

Default option – can be everyday or special

A place to take family and friends

Relationship with the staff

Familiarity with the menu – often pre-determined meal decision

How fish features:

Varies depending on cuisine/

specialism of restaurant

Customers often have their favourite dishes here, but trust

and relationship built up between staff and customers

provides a very real opportunity to encourage/push new

options that are unique to their menu

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Fine dining establishments have authority to push the

boundaries

How they are being used:

Very planned, often researched

More of an intimate experience (couples, close friends)

All about the food

Open to inspiration

Keen to try something different/new

How fish features:

Inclusion of lesser known species

Very descriptive

Inventive dish

design/accompaniments

Take advantage of

consumer openness to try

something new by

championing lesser known,

sustainable species

To summarise…

• Seafood faces strong competition on menus, so although it can raise

interest for being seen as something different, it can miss out on cost,

variety, size and satisfaction

• There are ways to increase its appeal though – carefully considered

accompaniments, improved taste descriptions and more choice would

help fish to stand out and be considered a less risky choice for

consumers

• Sustainability and provenance are unlikely to feature in consumer

decision making when eating out of the home – so there is little

demand for this type of information on menus

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