British demand for Japanese meals expands sales of rice and noodles
British families spent an extra 24 million pounds on rice, noodles and pasta products last year, a new research data by Kantar World Panel reveals.
The data further states that sales of rice and noodles have gone up by 5.3 percent. This is in contrast to the 2.9 percent growth in sales that was recorded just five years ago.
This surge has been ascribed to an increasing British demand for Japanese cuisine which is traditionally known for having rice as its major ingredient.
The report published yesterday by The Grocer said: "Britain is turning Japanese, as 80s new wave popsters The Vapors might have put it."
"Brits are also eating more South Asian and other far-flung cuisines, with Ramadan now crucial for retailers."
According to The Grocer, the rise in sales is pushed by Japanese brands and other companies who take cues from Japanese cuisine.
The British appetite for ethnic food is not recent with the influx of immigrants India, China, Japan and Thailand dating back to the eighteenth century.
Statistics published on the Federation of Specialist Restaurants website reveal that there are about 700 Japanese restaurants in the UK with London enjoying the largest population of 70 percent compared to Scotland and Wales joint share of just 4 percent.
However, in the 2011 edition of their annual survey, Mintel, a company that deals in market research, published that there are fears that the cost of rice may soar due to global shortage of wheat.
In 2015, Kantar Worldpanel have disclosed that the average cost of rice has dropped with more brands and companies engaging in promotions.
Tags: UK Britain Rice Pasta Noodles Japanese Cuisine
