Organic food consumption at casual and fine dining restaurants in the UK: Restaurant managers’ perspectives

This research explores the phenomenon of organic food consumption in UK restaurants from restaurant managers’ perspectives. The research collected primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected from restaurant managers and secondary data was collected from restaurant websites, menus and social media platforms. Twelve semi-structured interviews were carried out with restaurant managers in London. Thematic analysis and content analysis were adopted to analyze the qualitative data. Findings: From the viewpoints of restaurant managers, there is a growing organic dining trend and rising consumer demand for organic. The trend towards organic food consumption in UK restaurants is influenced by a number of substantial factors. Consumer health concerns and prices were identified as significant factors influencing diners’ behavior towards organic food in restaurants. Media coverage of the benefits of organic food, including taste and quality, are key influencing factors. Restaurant operations including social media engagement, and availability of organic and labelling practices are important determinants. These factors were all identified as significant in terms of understanding diners’ organic consumption behavior in restaurants. Being one of the first attempts to explore the factors influencing organic consumption behavior in restaurants in the UK from the perspective of restaurant managers