Sarah O’Connell, London Office, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board

Shifts in UK consumer working patterns and habits is leading to a boom in business at non-traditional trading times, with late breakfasts, early lunches and afternoon suppers rising in popularity.

London concepts like Duck and Waffle, open 24/7, Dishoom, a Bombay-style café with an all-day menu and Caravan, which has quoted an upswing in early-evening trade, are among a new breed of concepts leading the trend, which could lead to opportunities for operators to shake up menus and strengthen new dining occasions.

Figures from NPD Group suggest that early-evening meals and snacks in the UK have risen by 12% in the past year, and fast-casual operators in the City of London are experiencing a spread of lunchtime trade across the morning. This is partly a result of many City workers starting their day early, bringing the traditional lunchtime forward by a couple of hours.

More full-service restaurants have reported a pick-up in afternoon-into-evening bookings, as business people start to favour this time for informal and relaxed meetings which don’t necessitate a return to the office. The trend tallies with the ongoing popularity of tapas and other small-plate concepts, and provides the motivation for savvy operators to broaden the boundaries of traditional dining times and introduce food concepts to match.