It reports Chinese food came out on top as the nation’s overall favourite ethnic food with 83% of Brits saying Chinese was the cuisine they preferred most, followed by Indian.
Combined, Indian and Chinese account for 70% of the ethnic food market in the UK.
The relative newcomer to the market – Mexican – has also increased in popularity, growing by 20% over the last two years. However, in terms of purchasing power, the research shows sales of Indian cuisine surpassed Chinese by £189m in the last year – suggesting Brits are favouring cooking Indian food at home.
And, as the current economic climate may be encouraging consumers to recreate their favourite restaurant experience at home, new research from Mintel suggests that while six in 10 adults enjoy ethnic food, they are ditching ready meals for their own healthier versions.
When it comes to people’s home eating habits, four in 10 adults who eat ethnic food enjoy it at home once a month and one in 10 eat it twice or more in the week.
Nearly two thirds (62%) of Brits said cooking ethnic food at home is cheaper than getting a takeaway. A further 36% said cooking ethnic food at home tastes just as good as having a takeaway.
Mintel projects the retail value of ethnic value in Britain to increase to over £1.5bn by 2013 as the nation’s affinity for cooking ethnic food at home grows.
Within Chinese food, stir-fry sales have increased by 37% over the last two years and cooking sauces are up 13%.
Indian food has recorded a decline in the ready meal sector, with sales down 2.6% from 2006 but an 11.4% rise in the retail value of accompaniments in the last two years.
Mexican food has received a massive boost over the same period with all retail sectors up in value.
All adults eat at least one ethnic style of food; with just over three in 10 consuming five or more styles, adds Mintel.
Enjoyment of ethnic food is currently greatest with young adults – peaking at just over seven in 10 of those aged 25-44.
However, when it comes to ready meals, tastes wander closer to home with over half of consumers eating British ready meals. And, in contrast to the decline in sales of other ready meal sectors, Italian ready meals have increased 33% in value from 2003 to £471m in 2008.
Emmanuelle Bouvier, senior market analyst at Mintel, said: “The current economic climate seems to be impacting on Brits seeking to recreate the restaurant experience at home. The initial establishment of popular favourites Chinese and Indian cuisine has led to a broadening of the market and increased popularity of different types of ethnic food.
“Stir fries tend to be seen as healthy meal solutions that are also convenient while cooking aids, such as pastes and spices, give consumers the freedom to tailor their meals to their taste, which they cannot do with ready meals.”