Convenience has taken over Spanish mealtimes

Kantar’s “Food of the Nation” report reveals that the Spanish are going into their kitchens less and less. Today’s lifestyles and the emergence of new venues and formats have led them to opt for more practical and faster ways of eating instead of cooking up a three-course meal.

This means that in 2019, 41 million lunches and dinners weren’t made in Spanish households, not because people are eating less, but because new consumer options have been sought. Seven out of every ten meals no longer cooked at home were consumed in a restaurant, the other three, although eaten in the home, were not actually cooked there. These meals were takeaway meals delivered to the home or picked-up, or ready to eat food bought from a convenience store, hyper or supermarket.

This change in behaviour when it comes to cooking or seeking out convenience food has not increased the number of consumption occasions. However, it has brought added value to the food and beverage sector* which has grown by 3% in the first half of the year: a meal made by a restaurant costs on average €8.40 per person and a delivery or takeaway order around €5.10, as opposed to €1.60 per dish made at home.

It has also impacted the evolution in product categories as the meals selected in each of these options are noticeably different, something which has spurred the growth of the best-positioned products and brands in the restaurant, delivery and/or takeaway businesses.

In search of the natural and new lifestyles

The report, which for the first time includes a complete overview of food and beverage consumption both inside and outside the home, also noted some other trends in Spaniards’ diets. The 'realfooding’ concept (the search for naturalness in food and drinks) is making great strides among consumers. Natural products are regularly chosen by 81%, while 60% are even giving up processed foods such as fat (65%), salt (52%), sweeteners (43%) and sugar (34%).

But that is not the only trend on the rise amongst the Spanish. Flexitarianism is growing in home consumption, although not when it comes to eating out. The drop in the consumption of animal proteins at home is exclusively reflected in beef and sausages, which have lost more than 1.5 points in their share of stomach over the last six years.

“Spanish consumers are changing their patterns of consumption and seeking out products, packaging or channels that provide them with greater convenience and ease in their daily lives,” says Edurne Uranga, Kantar Consumer Director and expert in consumer food and beverage habits. “However, at the same time, they are not giving up their search for what’s natural in their choices. Understanding this and adapting to their needs opens up a new world of great opportunities for us.”

*Food and beverage expenditure (In & Out): includes all purchases for consumption both inside and outside the home and in any channel: supermarket, hypermarket, restaurants, delivery, takeaway, etc.

Period: Q1+Q2 2019 (vs. Q1+Q21H 2018)
Source: Kantar (Worldpanel Usage)