F2G salads

Food to go is seeing strong sales growth 

Supermarkets and contemporary fast food are winning in the increasingly lucrative food to go market as consumers extend buying habits to weekend, according to a new report.

Tesco is the leading food to go brand, with a 6.5 per cent share of the market, followed by McDonald’s (3.8 per cent), Subway (3.7 per cent), Sainsbury’s (3.6 per cent) and M&S Food (3.2 per cent).

The report, from foodservice analysts MCA Insight, also found contemporary fast food outlets have increased their share from 0.8 per cent in 2011 to a forecast 1.6 per cent in 2017. Brands such as Five Guys are successfully responding to consumer trends for convenience, quality, 'adventurousness' and healthier eating, it found.

Growth in the food to go sector is being driven by changing consumer attitudes that no longer see it only as a convenient option for workday commutes and breaks. Weekend-biased shopping and leisure occasions now account for the biggest segment (22 per cent) of total food to go visits.

As a whole, food to go is expected to grow by 3.8 per cent in 2017 (a value of £20.2 billion), MCA Insight said.

Responding to this, eight out of ten brands expanded their ranges between Q1 2013 and Q1 2017, with many experimenting with carb alternatives such as quinoa and buckwheat, while ten out of 11 brands introduced more salads.