Germany is Europe’s largest Foodservice Market

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 12, 2008 -- Hamburg/Germany – Sept 12, 2008

Strong growth in the European Foodservice industry: In nearly all Western European countries the Away-from-Home Market expands. Only in Italy the Foodservice branch shows a light decrease. According to an international study of CHD Expert, the most meals will be served in Germany. Great Britain and France are ranked second and third on the Top 10 list of European Foodservice markets. The market research group CHD Expert recently published a market overview of all relevant Foodservice figures of all European countries. The so-called “Seats & Meals – Foodservice Data Compilation Europe 2008” is now available; prices are on request.

„A comparison of Western and Eastern European countries shows that the expansion of Away-from-Home consumption now continues for over seven years,“ Rolf W. Schmidt, Vice President European Business Development of CHD Expert Group, said. In Germany, Great Britain and France the number of meals served tend toward a market saturation. In comparison, in Portugal (+3,15%) and Slovenia (+3,40%) the number of meals served rose strongly within the last seven years. In 2007 nearly 55 bn meals have been served in all European countries. „The three strongest Foodservice markets Germany, Great Britain and France are combined larger than all the other countries of the Foodservice Top 10 ranking,“ Schmidt analysed.

Top 10 Foodservice Countries – Europe
(in order of meals served per year)
Rank / Country / Change to year 2000
1 / Germany / 0,69%
2 / Great Britain / 1,56%
3 / France / 1,38%
4 / Italy / -0,97%
5 / Spain / 1,92%
6 / Poland / 1,60%
7 / Sweden / 0,91%
8 / Belgium / 1,17%
9 / Czech / 0,69%
10 / Portugal / 3,15%

(Date: 2007; the total number of meals served are exclusive
for buyers of “Seats & Meals – Foodservice Data Compilation Europe 2008“)

The Foodservice market structure in nearly all European countries is predominated by Commercial Foodservice companies. In Germany, approximately 60 percent of all meals are served in restaurants and other Commercial Foodservice outlets. Only 34 percent of the meals are served in canteens and similar Social Foodservice operators. In Great Britain the market structure looks similar: 53 percent Commercials Foodservice vs. 38 percent Social Foodservice. In France the Foodservice market structure is more balanced: 51 percent Commercial vs. 45 percent Social Foodservice. Among the Top 10 Foodservice countries, only in Sweden the Social Foodservice segment (51%) prevails the Commercial Foodservice branch (43%).

„The background of the expansion of Foodservice business in Europe is broadly based. One main engine is the more attractive offer of lunch menus and snacks,” Schmidt reports. “The increasing variety of ethnic food and innovative food ideas like salad bars or organic food bistrorants inspire the consumers and push the Foodservice markets.”

Away from home market     europe     Foodservice     Meals served     Out of home market