Roy Morgan Research has revealed that the Chinese cuisine – while still Australia’s favourite – is the only one out of the top 10 to have lost popularity rather than gained it.
Between January 2011 and December 2015, the proportion of Australians who reported liking Chinese cuisine declined from 73.6 percent to 70.4 percent, making it the only cuisine in the top 10 to lose popularity.
Italian is the second most popular cuisine, rising slightly from 60.8 percent in 2011 to 62.9 percent. Thai and Indian cuisine also gained in popularity over the last five years, while Mexican (42.6 percent, up from 38.5 percent) and Japanese (37.9 percent, up from 33.3 percent) are enjoying good growth.
Chinese is the favourite amongst all generations surveyed, especially pre-baby boomers, with an above-average proportion of them (72 percent) enjoying the cuisine. They’re much less likely to prefer other cuisines including Italian, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Other Asian, Lebanese and Greek.
Generation X is over-represented among Australians who like Italian, Greek, Thai and Lebanese. Gen Y, in contrast, is the group most likely to enjoy eating Japanese, Other Asian, Indian, Mexican and French food. They are also the generation most likely to dine out at cafes, licensed and BYO restaurants, and order home-delivered food.
Norman Morris, communications industry director, Roy Morgan Research, said, “Restaurateurs, eatery chains, takeaway joints and food brands wishing to reach the most responsive consumers need to stay abreast of these social trends and how they vary between generations.
"At an even more detailed level, Roy Morgan’s in-depth consumer profiling system Helix Personas reveals that members of the upwardly mobile, ‘New Cool School’ Persona (generally single, young, socially active and career focused) consistently over-index for liking international cuisine, being more likely than any other Persona to enjoy Japanese, Indian, Other Asian, Lebanese, Mexican, French and Greek food. Often young, sociable, with cash to spend, these inner-city dwellers take pride in knowing all the hottest spots to eat.”