Restaurants lag behind in organic market

Restaurants are falling far behind supermarkets in making money out of organic food, according to a survey released at last week's Catering Forum conference. Figures from market research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres showed that annual spending on organic foods in supermarkets had risen from £134m in 1999 to £491m in 2001. But only a handful of organic restaurants have opened in Britain, partly because of the difficulty of getting certification from organic food organisations. Nick Battison, a director at Taylor Nelson Sofres, said that - Waitrose, Sainsbury and Tesco - accounted for two thirds of - organic sales. He said: "The market is dependent on a small group of loyal and dedicated consumers. The demographic profile of Waitrose is ideal to sell organic foods, so the consumption of organic food in the home will stimulate organics in restaurants." Soil Association chairman Helen Browning conceded that the "hassle factor" was one of the reasons why many restaurateurs were not going organic. She said the association needed to talk to caterers to make it easier to gain accreditation. She added that customers were more likely to insist on organic food in supermarkets than in restaurants: - "Brits will choose organic produce in restaurants, but they won't make a fuss if it is not on the menu. "It was the same with vegetarianism 15 years ago. Organic produce will get into the mass market but there will be a time lag." by Helen Adkins