Quick service restaurants (QSRs), or limited service restaurants (LSRs), are establishments that generally offer meals at lower prices and with faster service. Additionally, they tend to offer limited menus as well as limited table service. Outside of the industry, they are more commonly referred to as fast food restaurants. Fast food restaurants in the United Kingdom may not be as widespread as
, however, the industry has seen relatively steady growth over the past decade in the UK. That being said, in 2021 the
dipped to 18.9 billion British pounds as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following two years also saw almost two thousand
, falling to around 15 thousand by December 2023. Nevertheless, the fast food and takeaway industry’s market size exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and was forecast to increase further the following year.
What are the leading fast food brands in the UK?
According to a 2024 survey of the
most popular dining brands in the UK, Greggs had the highest rating among the British public with 70 percent of Brits having a positive opinion of the brand. The bakery chain has undergone massive growth in recent years, with the
annual turnover of Greggs more than doubling between 2016 and 2023. Furthermore, Greggs has also
surpassed QSR giants such as Subway and McDonald’s in terms of units, having over 800 sites more than the latter as of 2024. However, one metric McDonald’s dominates is recognizability, ranking as the
leading restaurant chain in the UK in terms of brand awareness. The UK also ranks as one of the leading markets for the brand with the golden arches, coming second in the list of
European countries with the most McDonald’s restaurants in 2023, with only France having more.
How often do Brits eat at fast food restaurants?
The
fast food buying frequency in Great Britain remained relatively stable from July 2019 to January 2024. As of January 2024, approximately 15 percent of Brits reported that they ate fast food once a week. Meanwhile, around half of Brits reported that they never ate fast food. One reason that there is a reluctance among many to eat fast food is its low nutritional value and high fat content. With a
high share of the UK’s population classed as overweight, cutting out fast food is commonly seen as a viable way of losing weight. Nevertheless,
British public opinion has not turned against QSR restaurant chains, with around one-third viewing them favourably and another third seeing them neither in a favourable nor an unfavourable light.
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