European cuisine has become a global export, with food and drink establishments all over the world selling beloved dishes like pizza, paella, and pastéis de nata. But these dishes all originated somewhere. These days, the food and drink services industry in Europe is thriving - in 2022, there were as many as 1.5 million
(EU-27) alone. Meanwhile, the
was a whopping 441.8 billion euros. That said, recent years have proved hard for this industry with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) causing temporary restaurant closures and the
resulting in higher overheads for its establishments, and higher costs for customers.
What European country has the largest food and drink service industry?
Food and drink services in Europe can include anything from elegant fine-dining experiences in
Michelin-starred restaurants to grabbing a quick burger using the drive-thru at
McDonald’s. Or if Europeans are in the mood for a sweet treat, they may visit one of the
cities with the most ice cream shops in Europe, like Milan or Turin. Not only was Italy the place to be for ice cream, it was also the country with the most food and drink establishments in Europe. That said, it only had the third highest
net turnover of food and drink services in countries in Europe, while France placed at the top of the ranking with a turnover of 85 billion euros. Equally, one may expect Italy to also have the highest
employment in the food and drink service industry in Europe, but this was actually true of Germany, showing that no one country consistently led the pack.
The rise of online food delivery services in Europe
While it is sometimes referred to as “the old country” by those in the United States, Europe has embraced modernity, with many services moving increasingly online. This can be said of online food and drink delivery services.
Revenue of the online meal delivery market in Europe reached as much as 41.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and was forecast to grow by over 50 percent in the upcoming five years. However, some
European countries have taken to online food delivery more than others, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy, who all displayed high penetration rates. The UK in particular showed a preference for online delivery with the
share of online restaurant delivery users reaching 40 percent in 2024. With its diverse and historical culinary culture and its eye looking to the future, the European food and drink services industry does not look to be slowing its growth any time soon.
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