UKH

The total number of takeaway food shops in England has risen by 4,000 in the past three years, an increase of 8%, sparking fears that councils are losing the battle to limit obesity levels via planning rules that restrict new fast food outlets.

According to new figures provided to the Guardian by Cambridge University’s Centre for Diet and Activity Research (Cedar), there are now 56,638 takeaways in England – more than a quarter of all the country’s food outlets – with some of the heaviest concentrations of fast food found in England’s poorest and most deprived neighbourhoods.

“The junk food and sugary drinks sold by these outlets make an important contribution to the UK epidemic of obesity and diabetes,” said Professor Simon Capewell, vice-president for policy at the UK’s Faculty of Public Health. “Furthermore, the much greater density of fast food outlets in deprived neighbourhoods exacerbates existing, substantial inequalities in health. These trends are very worrying.”

The data also indicates a possible north-south divide in takeaway access. Of the 30 council areas where takeaways are the predominant kind of food outlet, 25 are in economically deprived areas of the north, with notable clusters in the north-west.

In Blackburn-with-Darwen, 38% of all food retail outlets are given over to fast food – the highest proportion in England – against a national average of 26%. Blackburn has 236 takeaways in all, an increase of 24% since 2014, and equivalent to one takeaway shop for every 625 people.

https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jul/25/large-rise-takeaway-shop...

How often do you indulge?

Me and her indoors have a regular Friday night takeaway, it's a treat and saves us cooking on her last working day of the week. We're lucky in having easy access to every type, from pizza to Ethiopian, from fish & chips to Malaysian, within 5 mins drive.

Luckily we're both good cooks, verging on hobby chefs, and don't feel the need to either have more regular takeaways or oven ready meals.

In reply to Big Ger:

Good for you, I'm glad you are so kind to let your wife off cooking the dinner on her last working day of the week, how gracious of you.

In reply to Big Ger:


We probably have a take away pizza once a month but are far more likely to eat out if we are both feeling tired - and luckily we have a Pakistani restaurant about a hundred metres away
(we could order a take-away from there but rarely do)

In reply to subtle:


Maybe if your reading comprehension was as good as your ability to produce bile you'd get somewhere.

Me and her indoors have a regular Friday night takeaway, it's a treat and saves us cooking on her last working day of the week.

I don't have a "last working day of the week" as I work a seven day roster. On Fridays, my wife's last working day of the week, we prefer to get a takeaway, (if I'm not on an evening shift,) so we can spend quality time together, over food and wine, rather than have one of us spend time cooking. It's a nice way for her to wind down, (me too if I'm not working Saturday.)

As we're both keen cooks, (as I said,) we LIKE cooking, so it's not a case of one of us, (or in your warped world "her",) having a night off cooking.

So, do you have anything on topic to add?

One would almost think I phrased that quote accurately, expecting it to draw out the usual spite and nastiness from the hard of thinking.

In reply to Big Ger:

We used to eat a nice takeaway about once every three months, then we checked the place on here and stopped going: http://ratings.food.gov.uk/

In reply to Big Ger:




I do feel that some of your posts are about bit look at how ace my life is. I remember some from a year or two ago about if you could get by on something like £80K a year in a mortgage free house in Cornwall you then went on about other stuff such as how you and the wife are both Cordon Bleu Chefs or something, and other stuff. This may go down well in Australia but down the pub in Cornwall, maybe not so. I am sure you have worked hard and deserve it, but shhhh

In reply to J1234:
Cooking is a hobby for us, nothing more nothing less. For my wife's 50th. birthday I got her a 2 day cooking course* at the Seafood School in Padstow, she sill raves about this.

The figure I asked about living on in Cornwall was £25K pa.



*OK, there was a little bit of self interest there.

In reply to Big Ger:
Yesterday I had a Five Guys burger & chips (possibly the greatest fast food on earth), then at about four o'clock in the afternoon my daughter was craving a KFC so we nipped down there and I had a 'Big Daddy' meal. I went climbing at Millstone in the evening where I probably climbed the worst I have ever climbed in 5 years. I then went through the McDonald's drive thru on the way home and ate 2 double cheeseburgers before bed.
Perhaps if I'd eaten the double cheeseburgers before Millstone I'd have been ok.
We also had pick'n'mix and popcorn for breakfast at a morning showing of the new Cars film at the cinema but it's not really fast food

In reply to deacondeacon:


You've just made me very hungry!
Have you tried eating the various combinations of their toppings? Apparently, it would take you 684 years, eating there every day. Better get busy.

In reply to Big Ger:

I never have one more than once a day, that's just unhealthy

In reply to Lusk:

I was working away for a spell and on the odd night I'd venture out to the local precinct for evening food. There was a five guys there...but it always looked a bit shoddy, so I never went in.

Kicking myself now.

In reply to Lusk:



No, I get the same combo every time although I do experiment with the drinks.
Haven't had the guts to try the Bacon Milkshake yet but I will soon

In reply to ThunderCat:



They look so disappointing. First time I went I was so pissed off that I'd been dragged in, and then the prices are eye watering for a burger. Looking at the best part of £17 for a burger, chips & drink!!!
No table service, food in crappy brown bags, chips in a paper cup (the same cups they use for drinks).
Open it and realise it's a pretty small burger.
Then you bite into it and realise that your life has instantly improved knowing that this taste is available to you until your dying day. Everything just gets better, you'll leave with a spring in your step and a perky "good morning/good afternoon" for anyone you walk past for the rest of the day.
Then it'll be 10.15 the following day, feeling a bit groggy after your fast food overdose the day before, craving another sweet taste of that Five Guys burger.

I imagine it's very similar to Smack and should probably be banned.

In reply to deacondeacon:


Please tell me the drink is a decent single malt, a double at least...

In reply to Big Ger:

We LOVE traditional English food, burgers, kebabs, curries, now even shawarma has joined the list of delights. My son is starting university in Manchester this autumn and I can't wait for him to show me around some of the local delights in Manchester's university area around Oxford Road.

In reply to Big Ger:
Afraid not, it's a 'free refill' machine with over 100 flavours of pop.

In reply to Big Ger:

Used to have a regular Friday night kebab with a mate of mine, but haven't done that for a few years now - I'll occasionally have one on the way home from the pub.

Occasionally, we'll get a takeaway curry, Thai or pizza if we're back late from somewhere or with friends - chippy if it's a Friday or we're on holiday. There's an M&S food at the garage round the corner from us, so we'll often get a lasagne or something from there on the way home and bung it in the oven while we're sorting the kids out. Sometimes get pizza from the supermarket.

Closest I get to "fast food" is one of the coffee shops, like Pret or Costa, or a department store cafe when we're out shopping as my wife likes a morning coffee (I can't stand the stuff) and her company is a supplier to many of them, so she likes to see how their products are being served. I prefer to give my custom to the independents, if possible.

Haven't set foot in MuckyD's, BK, KFC, etc in years - and even then it was BK in an emergency. Quite prepared that when the kids grow up a bit, we/they might end up in one with friends, but that's fine.

I used to regularly get sandwiches from Boots, Sainsbury's or so on, mainly as an excuse to get out of the office at lunchtime and because I was too disorganised to make my own. These days, as today, it was a rough night with the kids and we didn't have time to make them.

In reply to Big Ger:

The worst bit about cycling to work is that when I'm on the way home, I go past quite a few fast food places - there's a whole street of them at one point and then, just before I get home, my nostrils are assaulted by the local Chinese and chippy, meaning I get home ravenous!

In reply to Big Ger:


Don't feed the trolls mate - especially this one. He's just upset because the arsehole transplant didn't work out. Apparently it rejected him.

In reply to deacondeacon:

Have you tried Shake Shack?

In reply to Bjartur i Sumarhus:

No not yet, but I want to.
Next time I'm in London I'll try one

In reply to Big Ger:

It's apparent that we are becoming Americanisded. I spent some time in 'rural' Carlifonia around Temecular and noticed straight away that towns were dominated by fast food joints that were right on the main road going through. England is becoming the same in parts, there is a place just off the motorway in Blackpool named locally as 'fat mans corner' where there is a mac d's, KFC, Pizzahut, subway and a chinese all in yards of each other. I live in Derby now and if you have a min, look at 'Allenton' on google maps, dozens of takeaways in a small area, it's daft as there is 3 pizza places all next door to each other in one bit!
Of them all, i like subway. Can't be arsed with burgers and chicken unless it's an 'emergency'

In reply to deacondeacon:

When you do, a double Shackmeister is the best burger IMO.

In reply to Big Ger:
I live round the corner from lots of different take aways, during my diploma and under pressure in a few ways, it was 2 or 3 a week towards the end, and my blood pressure went up, but now it's once a week and it's gone down again. I'm sure exercising more than during diploma work helps too.

Regular take away curry fish n chips and pizza each week can't be good for anybody...

In reply to Big Ger:

Does the muppet that wrote this realise that not all food sold at fast food outlets is unhealthy and not all food sold at other outlets or cooked at home is healthy?

Your overall diet is what matters rather than the number of times that you buy from outlets that are lazily classed as fast food and therefore bad!

In reply to Big Ger:

How often do you indulge?

About 4 times a year...and that even embrasses me. Makes me laugh when people say it's a 'treat'.....

In reply to Big Ger:

Very rarely have take away's at ours.

On the odd occasion, maybe once every few months we'll go to the chip shop rather than cook if we're back late and there is no food in the house or something but that is about it. the only other times we have take away are when we're going to a friends house and we're all ordering something as part of the evenings food and drinks.

Obviously there is the general health issue but I don't think it is the only reason we don't take away very often, we just normally cook or at the very least chuck something like a pizza in the oven. We live in a small town so there are not to many options but what there is, is said to be good. also I'm just not a massive fan of take out style foods.

In reply to Big Ger:
The worst abuse of takeaways has to be the act of ordering one from a hotel room and having it delivered. As if you can't even be bothered to go down to the hotel restaurant and find something reasonably healthy - most hotels have at least a couple of salads on their menus.

I remember staying in a hotel in Michigan for my brother's wedding. Down the other end of my corridor were several rooms in use by a softball team, teenagers with their coaches, supposedly fit sporty people. When I checked out I strolled down the corridor and happened to glance into the rooms the team had just vacated. I was shocked to see the floors and tables were all awash with takeaway cartons from the burger, pizza and ice-cream outlets on the same estate. Amazing.

In reply to ThunderCat:


I think my initial reply tore him a new one.

In reply to timjones:


I'm sure they do; "Cambridge University’s Centre for Diet and Activity Research (Cedar)"


So you're telling us that some/a significant portion/many who regularly dine on fast food are choosing the salad bowl and hummus option, and not the double burger and chips with deep fried mars bar for desert?

In reply to Big Ger:


Ah well, now that you point out that they're based in Cambridge and have poncy name we can all rest assured that they are good at what they do?


I'm sure that some do and that there are others who would still seek out the least healthy option even if it was only available at a small percentage of tge available food outlets.

In reply to timjones:
Ah well, now that I've pointed out that they're based in Cambridge and have poncy name, can we all rest assured that they are no good at what they do because you say so?

The Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR) is studying the factors that influence diet and physical activity behaviours, developing and shaping interventions, and helping shape public health policy and practice. We are driven by the overall goal of supporting effective interventions to change diet and physical activity behaviours at the population level.

We are one of five Centres of Excellence in Public Health Research funded through the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC). We are a partnership between the University of Cambridge, the University of East Anglia and MRC Units in Cambridge

http://www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/about/

In reply to Big Ger:

We tend to get fish and chips Probably 3 times in every 4 weeks.
Sometimes because we fancy them, sometimes for convinience because I worked late but was unable to let the Mrs know.
The Mrs will also have a couple of Chinese take aways a year and maybe a pizza or 2 a year too.
Being type 1 diabetic she prefers to cook her own food as she knows exactly what's in it but every few months she feels the need for a tasty treat.

In reply to Big Ger:
Takeaways and restaurants are tricky for vegans and veggies. Our nearest is Stoney Middleton chippy, a walk across some fields which fries its chips in vegetable fat, which is great, as is the brilliant chippy in Tideswell. I hear great things about the Indian in Stoney, and the Indian in Hathersage is ok, but you have to drill down in the veggie options to make sure there's no ghee.
Best option is the Chinese takeaway in Bakewell, because as least they understand vegan, and do a mean salt and pepper tofu and veg chow mein. A trick I learned in formal dinners working in China is to say that you're a Bhuddist, and all of a sudden you're deluged in brilliant vegan food , it also works in Chinese restaurants here.
We mostly eat home cooked food which is also brill!

In reply to paul_in_cumbria:


Try living in Aus mate!!

In reply to Big Ger:

The fast food people strike back!

Research commissioned by Just Eat for the British Takeaway Campaign, published in the recent Takeaway Economy Report, shows that the takeaway industry is already responding to our increasingly health-conscious appetites, offering a greater range of menu options: 96% of restaurants offer vegetarian dishes, almost two-thirds offer low-fat choices, and 59% offer low-salt alternatives on their menus. Smaller portion sizes also clearly have a role to play in decisions around a balanced diet, and these are now offered in 73% of takeaway restaurants.

Your article also does not highlight the important contribution a growing takeaway sector makes to local economies and employment across the UK. Takeaways support over 230,000 jobs – 41,000 more than in 2009 – and helped contribute £9.4bn to the UK economy last year. They also make an important social contribution – 41% of takeaways are actively involved in community activities, sponsoring local sports teams and providing food to charities, care homes and local events.

In reply to Big Ger:


Climbing trips to Font are challenging too unless you cook for yourself

In reply to Big Ger: it's hard not to read that statement and not hear the gentle mooing of BS. First some dodgy stats on what's offered, not on whether they actually sell any (we've a salad advertised in small letters at the bottom, some one bought one in 2013....). Then some drivel on employment and charity

In reply to Big Ger:

>How often do you indulge?

In the last 15 years or so:

Pizza: 0 (have had a couple of supermarket pizzas at home though)

Burger: 0

Indian: 0

Chinese: 0

Kebab: 0

Fish & chips: 2

Chips: Maybe 5/6 ish

In reply to wbo:

I don't disagree mate, but it's good to have some balance of information.

In reply to Big Ger:
Enlighten me, what's Ethiopian fast food? - I got coffee!

In reply to John Kelly:


Here's what our local place serves; http://ethiopiadownunder.com.au/menu/

In reply to timjones:


Here you go, I await your critique of their methodology with bated breath...

http://www.feat-tool.org.uk/

In reply to felt:


I tried that site, it couldn't find any of my local takeaway's.

In reply to Big Ger:

That looks great, I would eat all of that. Intriguingly one dish you have to order 2 days in advance, not sure that qualifies as fast but again sound bloody tasty, thanks for the info- deliver Cumbria?

In reply to John Kelly:

I love the food there, and they have more than enough vege choice to keep me happy. I have something of an addiction to their injera bread.

In reply to Big Ger:

Haven't cooked for myself in almost a year here in S.E Asia. About half my meals are take away, with the remainder eat-out options being sit down pop-up, small restaurant or street food. Just about all qualifies as fast food really.

Biggest problem with fast food is the amount of polystyrene and plastic packaging. Chances are the ingrediants are cheap and maybe not the best as well (some of the veg comes from what used to be lakes but which are now sewerage outlets for a city with insufficient capacity to deal with it).

But its all a mixture of Khmer, Vietnamese or Thai, with the odd Indian, Korean or Japanese option thrown in. Given you don't see many obese people, I'd like to think its healthy. But undoubtedly comes with other risks associated with MSG etc.

In reply to Big Ger:

You have a takeaway ONCE A WEEK and you don't feel the need to have more regular takeaways? That is pretty regular isn't it?

In reply to wbo:
There is also BS on what gets counted as fast food. Wok cooked veg is fast food. The real problem in the west is too many big multi-national franchise outlets packing their food with salt and sugar and other stuff we need to be careful about in our diet and little fruit, veg or fibre. This then carries over into much of what we buy... due to clever marketing, poor education and poor labelling. I'd make films like Supersize Me compulsory viewing at school. We could and should do much better...

https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/blog/2016/08/childhood-obesity-plan?gclid=Cj0K...

My fast food comsumption in the UK is a few times a month and mainly Asian... on regular work trips to SE Asia its almost daily (I prefer street food there to most restaurant food and the two blend together)

In reply to Big Ger:

I rarely bother with fast food, I'm just too tight to spend good money on rubbish food that I could cook better at home (and I'm no fancy chef).
If I really don't want to cook I prefer to go out somewhere.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Your loss as some 'fast food' is good and can be complicated and/or slow to cook yourself.

In reply to Dax H:


I've found that over time one gets to know how much a different kind of takeaway might push blood sugar up. Or you can 'aim off' if you like, to borrow a term from map reading, in knowing that you're probably having a bit too much insulin for the meal, but having juice to something to drink a while later to stop a hypo, so that it doesn't go too high.

I got my Mum's xmas trifle and pudding dialled in pretty quickly.

In reply to gethin_allen:


I take it that you are aware of the fact that a lot of take away food is exactly the same as they serve in (their) restaurants but it's in a box.
And half (slight exaggeration) the price!

In reply to wilkie14c:


Some of the best fresh food I've ever had has been found lurking in unexpected corners of rural California. Controversially I'd say the same about a pint of IPA...

Although we did stay at a campground and lodge where the restaurant was serving a Chiken Parmo, more commonly found on Teeside...

In reply to Lusk:



You make your own point in jest. Around here much of the take away stuff is pretty much the same price (in some places exactly the same) as eating out and for that you have to go and get it/ pay for delivery, sit in the same old environment as you normally sit and eat and then do the washing up.

In reply to Big Ger:
More food for thought in the Guardian today... fast food brexit Britain.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/jul/29/saving-britains-...

In reply to wilkie14c:


It's the same where I live, I'm surrounded by FFRs ( although I don't go in any of them )
I do, however, object to my local chemists' now all being called Pharmacies , an Americanisation too far.

In reply to aln:

Ominous

In reply to Jim C:

The US has drugstores in colloquial terms and Pharmacy is the correct word.

In reply to Offwidth:

Amazing, the report in the OP is telling us we're a bunch of ill lardies for eating so much takeaway junk, now this article is fear-mongering that we may be starved...

Typical Graun

In reply to Big Ger:

Today we read;

Greggs is looking to open drive-through shops around the country after a trial run proved a hit with with on-the-move Mancunians.

“It’s all about convenience and the most convenient thing is not having to get out of your car,” said Greggs boss Roger Whiteside. “You can just drive up and order a coffee, sausage roll or doughnut.”

Whiteside is in the process of reinventing the Newcastle baker as a “food-to-go” chain, adding falafel salads and mocha coffee to the menu alongside traditional favourites such as sausage rolls and steak bakes. The first drive-through opened in Irlam, Greater Manchester in June, with hungry drivers pulling off the busy roundabout to stock up.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/01/greggs-sees-window-of-oppo...

In reply to Big Ger:

We don't have any fast food chains here, so MacDs / KFC/BK etc. are a holiday 'treat' for us. Rather upsettingly there are no fast food chains in Gatwick airport anymore, so not only can we not get our 'fix' there but we have to buy expensive poncy food instead . We have takeaway 1-4 times a month, normally fish and chips but sometimes chinese or curry. My staple is battered burger and a chip butty.
It's not fast food that's to blame for 'fat Britain', it's tasty processed convenience food availability, the lack of time to cook properly, and attitude. Other European countries have fast food yet don't have as many fatties.