Restaurants lacking in food options for children, parents say
Restaurants are failing to provide sufficient menu options for children, according to new research by online booking portal Bookatable.
The majority of British parents polled (78%) believe that unhealthy food choices, such as pizza and chicken nuggets, continue to dominate most children's menu, while 59% said they think the food offered to kids in restaurants is unhealthy, dull and needs to be re-imagined.
Just over half of respondents (57%) said they believed restaurant food for children had improved over the years, but many (69%) still felt restaurants put all of their focus into creating enticing adult menus with less effort put into kids food.
The majority of parents polled (70%) said restaurants should encourage children to try new ingredients they have never tried before as well as healthier foods, while almost half (49%) admitted that there are a considerable number of food items offered in restaurants that they don't serve to their children at home.
Whilst children's restaurant menus have come a long way over the years and the industry has made a great deal of progress, there is still more that we can do to innovate and appeal to the family audience."
In a bid to revamp children's dining opportunities, Bookatable has partnered with Marcus Wareing's London restaurant Tredwell's to create a special Kids Tasting Menu, which aims to expand children's palates.
Chantelle Nicholson, group operations director for Marcus Wareing Restaurants, said: "We have always tried to be creative with our children's offering and steered away from the normal chicken and chips style of food. We welcome kids of all ages at Tredwell's and aim for our menu to be fresh and different."
Top reasons parents choose a restaurant to dine at with children
- Activities in the restaurant 61%)
- Healthy food options (59%)
- Cheap as I am on a budget (53%)
- Near lots of activities (51%)
- Fast service to avoid kids getting bored (36%)
Industry food wastage equivalent of 1.3b meals a year >>
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