It found that on average, people today eat out 5.2 times per month which is down from 5.6 times in March 2020. Cost of living was cited as the main reason for the drop. Despite eating out less often, people are seemingly wasting more food when they do eat out, compared to two years ago.

People are also adapting their behaviours when they do eat out, with 20% ordering fewer or cheaper drink options, 16% opting for less food or fewer dishes and 14% choosing more cost-effective options from the menu. By contrast, nearly one in three (32%) say their eating out habits have not changed, with these tending to be 18–44 year-olds, people with children and those with higher incomes.

Larger portions have resulted in a self-reported increase in leftover food since March 2020, when WRAP last surveyed people. More than one in five people (22%) say that the portion size of one or more of the dishes at their most recent sit-down meal was ‘too much.’ This is up from 17% in March 2020.

More than three in five people (63%) are concerned about wasting food when they eat out, with the main worry being the waste of money. The survey found a strong association between over-portioning and levels of food left uneaten, consistent with both WRAP’s 2012 and 2020 research.

Catherine David, director of business collaboration and change at WRAP, said: “While most food waste happens in our homes, plate waste when eating out is still significant, and there are ways that businesses and their customers can prevent this. A key challenge our research highlights is that while customers are concerned about food waste, large portions can be linked with their perception of value for money.

“But many are looking for more choice on portion size or better understanding of what is included in their dish, and there are several simple changes and tactics that can be adopted by businesses to ensure that we are feeding people and not bins.”

The top binned foods from WRAP’s research across all types of food venue are:

• Chips/potatoes - 25%
• Salads/coleslaw - 15%
• Vegetables - 12%
• Meat/fish - 11%
• Breads - 11%
• Sauces/condiments - 11%
• Rice - 9%
• Pasta - 6%

The new report highlights opportunities for hospitality and food service venues to help customers make more informed choices when eating out by building awareness about portion size and providing information on the menu. Over two in five (45%) would find it useful to be given the opportunity to take leftovers home.

Kate Nicholls, chief executive at UKHospitality, added: “Reducing food waste is a key objective of hospitality’s 2040 net zero goal, with a target to halve waste in the next seven years. Venues have already taken huge strides in their operations to reduce waste and continually look for ways to get better, so this new toolkit from Guardians of Grub will be a valuable addition to our net zero journey.”