How many times do you go out to dinner in a week? Or buy a takeout? According to some of the experts in the Kiwi culinary scene, we're eating out more than ever before. So what's changed?
Mark Gregory is the founder of New Zealand's biggest restaurant booking network, Restuarant Hub, and Master of Culinary Arts. He spoke to the
Herald Focus
team about our growing habits for eating out and ordering in.
"If we look at what's happening, there are some interesting stats," says Gregory. "Here in New Zealand right now, people are eating out in the cities up to 3.5 times per week."
Marisa Bidois, Chief Executive of Restuarant Association, agrees with Mark's statistics, stating, "Around 3.5 sounds right, this is including take out, and all varieties of eating out."
This is a significant increase from the findings in the Consumer Dining Monitor report from 2012, which found that 13 per cent of Kiwis said they ate out a least once a week and only 5 per cent were 2-3 times a week.
On a global scale, we're still behind the likes of the US, where Gregory notes that the average American is currently eating out 5.5 times per week.
Gregory believes the change is largely to do with the quality of food available in New Zealand.
"How good is the food in New Zealand right now? For me in all the time I've been eating, that food has never been better than it is today.
"At the World Restuarant Awards in Melbourne not too long ago, many of those chefs from around the world flew over to New Zealand to take a look.
Bidois agrees, stating: "It is the best time ever to be a consumer, or a foodie in New Zealand."
She adds: "All of the artisan and local producers are helping make the industry boom more than ever before."
Gregory also notes changes within Kiwi households has perpetuated the trend.
"So many families now have two parent's working; people are busy.
"It's a lifestyle choice, to work, go home and cook, it's tough. So let's order in, let's eat out."
Gregory believes services such as My Food Bag have meant that the restaurant industry is having to lift its game.
"A lot of people have become really good cooks. There's boxes of ingredients being brought to their homes.
"Many restaurants have raised the game, and eating out is an absolute pleasure, and it should be."
But is this trend going to last? Gregory certainly thinks so.
"There is some interesting information there, we have all just come through the global financial crisis, eating and drinking outperformed [everything else]. People still wanted to have fun and they did that by eating out. So I don't see that changing at all."
Numerous studies have shown that a cup of joe is good for the gut.