New research from Bord Bia revealed that eating out is still on the menu for Irish diners, with almost half (46%) of the population eating out at least once a month and 15% of Irish people eating out at least once a week. The research was presented at the launch of the Just Ask 2011 campaign which encourages consumers to look for information when eating out regarding the origin of their meat and in turn encourage chefs to provide this information on their menus.
The Just Ask campaign was launched by Bord Bia in 2009 and has been positively received by the restaurant trade to date. The research highlighted that 81% of Irish diners believe it’s important that restaurants use local produce with 72% deeming it important that the origin of meat is listed on the menu. It also uncovered that nearly 80% of consumers would check the origin of meat on the menu in restaurants.
In addition, it would seem that Irish consumers do not have reservations with regard to speaking up if dissatisfied when eating out with:
- 73% willing to complain about the quality of food served and
- Over 80% of consumers willing to query a cost item on a bill
Speaking about the launch of Just Ask 2011 campaign, Maureen Gahan, Bord Bia said, “The Bord Bia research shows that Irish people are dining out regularly. We want to remind diners about The Just Ask campaign and encourage them to check the menus in restaurants and to simply look for the food origin information on menus. If it is not written on the menu, then Just Ask!”
The campaign also includes the Just Ask Restaurant of the Month, selected by Georgina Campbell, which rewards restaurants around the country that are demonstrating ‘best practice’ in providing their customers with information and are committed to transparency with regard to the country of origin of the food served.
“Bord Bia is encouraging restaurants to get involved with the Just Ask campaign. The Just Ask Restaurant of the Month award recognises restaurants for their commitment to Iocal producers and suppliers and we are delighted with the calibre of winners thus far. For more information on the Just Ask campaign and for details of previous award winners log on to www.bordbia.ie , “concluded Maureen Gahan.
Harrys Bar & Restaurant in Inishowen, Co. Donegal is the 2011 Just Ask annual award winner. Speaking about the award, Donal Doherty said, “We were delighted to win the overall Just Ask award for 2011. For us, winning the Just Ask award has been a recipe for success as it has increased business. At Harry’s we collect the best of local produce direct from the people who farm, grow and catch it. We would encourage all restaurants across the country to demonstrate their commitment to local growers and suppliers by supporting the Just Ask campaign.“
About the Research:
The research was carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of Bord Bia in December 2010.
About Just Ask restaurant of the month
As part of an ongoing initiative to highlight restaurants around the country that are demonstrating ‘best practice’ in providing their customers with information, Bord Bia invites restaurants listed on Georgina Campbell’s ireland-guide.com website to submit copies of their menus and sourcing statements. On a monthly basis, a Just Ask winner is chosen by Georgina Campbell in agreement with Bord Bia. These are restaurants that are committed to sourcing locally and passing this information on to their customers, so that they don’t even have to Just Ask. In addition, an overall Just Ask annual award winner is selected as part of the Georgina Campbell Awards which take place during October.