We spend the equivalent of more than five hours EVERY year – deciding where to eat!

SAM | 3rd October 2018

 

Research also revealed many of us get stuck in a rut and shy away from trying new foods because they can’t decide what to go for.

 

 

Despite being a nation of foodies, with the average person dining out at least once a month, more than half play their meal choices ‘safe’ by eating at the same places, time and time again.

 

 

The research was conducted by Meerkat Meals, which created a unique ‘Restaurant Roulette’ tool to help diners decide what to eat by picking from a list of cuisines.

 

 

 

The study, conducted by OnePoll.com, also found a common barrier to trying new eateries is the size of the dining group, with nearly half of those polled saying it’s harder to pick a restaurant when eating out with four or more people.

 

 

It also emerged choosing where to eat in a group takes on average 25 minutes, which mounts up to over five hours over a year.

 

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Yang Sing's Pork Dumplings

 

 

 

The pressure of deciding where to eat amongst a group can even take the fun out of the evening, with almost half of diners saying choosing a restaurant that everyone likes takes the fun out of the experience.

 

 

The research also found diners much prefer to eat out when the choice of restaurant is taken out of their own hands.

 

 

More than one third agreed it was much easier when somebody else chose the dining destination.

 

 

And when it comes to the culinary desires of the nation, Caribbean came out as the cuisine people would most like to try, with a fifth of diners saying it was on top of their “to-try” list.

 

 

TOP 10 CUISINES WE CHOOSE WHEN DINING OUT

 

1. Pub food

2. Italian

3. Chinese

4. Indian

5. American

6. Mexican

7. Thai

8. Spanish

9. Mediterranean

10. French

 

 

TOP 10 CUISINES BRITS WOULD LIKE TO TRY MORE OF WHEN DINING OUT

 

1. Caribbean

2. Thai

3. Greek

4. Japanese

5. Chinese

6. Mediterranean

7. Moroccan

8. Spanish

9. Mexican

10. Vietnamese