Despite a growing interest in global cuisine and healthier foods, chips lead the way as the most popular takeaway side order of 2022, according to Just Eat.
The food ordering platform reported an increase in sales for Mexican, Greek and African food on last year as customers to broaden their palates. There has also been a hunt for healthier foods, as the search volume for smoothies and soups increased by 83%, sushi by 50% and salads by 49%.
However, the UK remains a nation of potato lovers with chips taking the top spot for the most ordered side.
Other foods trends noted in 2022 include:
- Brunch’in: The insights show that alongside the traditional weekend night in, Brits are thinking outside the takeaway box when it comes to their ordering habits. Breakfast is the fastest growing time of day for ordering food from the platform in 2022, despite more Brits returning to the office. In the last year, Just Eat has sold enough hash browns to fill nearly four football pitches.
- Veganuary: Brits started off January with a 15% increase in orders of vegan dishes. Just Eat also found that workers are looking for more meat-alternative lunches, with the total vegan and vegetarian orders tripling in 2022. This means that almost a quarter of total orders on Just Eat are now vegan and vegetarian.
- Football x Food: Over half a million orders were made during the World Cup England Vs France match, the Champions League and the Women’s Euro’s Final this year. For each match, around 2,000 orders were made per minute at peak time around 6-7pm.
- Groceries on the go: Not surprisingly eggs and bread were among the most popular grocery items ordered, with milk being the most popular. Enough pints were sold in the last six months via Just Eat for the average Brit to make more than 50 million cups of tea.
- Deliveries across the UK: Geographically, the most northern order of 2022 was in the fishing town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland and the most southern order in the port town of Penzance in Cornwall, England.
- But first…coffee?: More customers used Just Eat to order in from their local coffee shop than ever before, with lattes being the most ordered breakfast item. London, Edinburgh and Glasgow are the biggest coffee lovers, with it being the number one growing category in terms of orders.
- Pizza anyone?: From a classic margarita to a more controversial ham and pineapple, pizza continues to dominate the UK. Pizza restaurants top the charts with the highest number of restaurants in the UK, with 19,000 across 108 cities we operate in. During 2022, Just Eat sold enough pizzas, when stacked, to reach the height of 9,500 Leaning Tower of Pisas.
Amy Heather, strategic accounts director, Just Eat UK, said: “It’s incredible to see the sheer variety of cuisines, dishes and essential items ordered through our platform over the course of 2022. We’re proud to support customers getting the food they love from local restaurants, popular chains and grocers, and look forward to continuing to work with our fantastic partners as we head into 2023.”
Just Eat delivers from over 68,000 partners to 97% of UK postcodes.
