Third of households cut back on eating out and takeaways

Castle Street Liverpool Restaurants Hospitality Bars Vma

Confidentials 25 May 2022

And thousands more turning to food banks as cost of living crisis deepens

More than a third of Britons have cut back on eating out and takeaways as a response to the cost of living rise, according to new research. The survey by YouGov reports that 39% of people said they’ve had to cut back on eating out, the same number saying they have done so for non-essential food items, and 38% no longer able to spend as much on takeaways.

Tory MP Lee Anderson sparked fury after claiming poverty-hit families forced to rely on food banks 'cannot budget'.

As for alcohol, a quarter of Britons (27%) say they have had to spend less on booze since November, including 7% who have cut it out entirely for cost reasons.

Liverpool Prontos Mamos Takeaway Bold Street Vma — **Brits are spending less on takeaways** Image: Confidentials

The research paints a worrying picture for hospitality at a time when many restaurants, bars and takeaways have been forced to increase prices to cope with higher business costs.

When it comes to staple essential food items, 31% of households surveyed by YouGov said they’ve been forced to cut back their spending. This is primarily people switching to cheaper alternatives (20%), although 11% say they are spending money on food less frequently now.

Pouring A Pint In Whitelocks Ale House Leeds — **A quarter of people have cut down on booze spend**

Meanwhile, thousands more households are turning to food banks as the cost of living crisis deepens due to spiralling inflation, Universal Credit cutbacks and rising energy bills.

Conservative MP Lee Anderson sparked fury after claiming poverty-hit families who are forced to rely on food banks "cannot budget" and "cannot cook properly".

The Tory MP said "there is not this massive use for food banks in this country" during a Commons debate on the Queen's Speech, claiming people could "cook meals from scratch" for "30p a day" instead.

I would like to ask Boris Johnson one just one question in relation to his ‘we have put money into the pockets of working people’ statement.

1. What fucking money, and to who exactly?
— Jack Monroe (@BootstrapCook) May 25, 2022

Food writer Jack Monroe, The Bootstrap Cook, took to her blog to respond:

“If the ‘let them eat 30p meals’ brigade were really concerned for the welfare of people suffering - and I mean suffering - under the worst cost of living crisis this country has known for decades, they would take heed from the thousands of stories of people who have died at the hands of the callous DWP machine, and the people who enthusiastically grease its sharp and unforgiving cogs.”

Monroe has been an active campaigner for a number of causes, calling for social security benefits to be raised in line with inflation, and the introduction of a new price index, the Vimes Boots Index (VBI), highlighting the greater cost of poverty.

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