Tradition holding its own in German food market

Europe's food industry has changed almost beyond recognition over the last few years but there are still some places where traditional eating habits are holding strong.

Germany it seems, is one such place. A survey carried out by the UK-based market research organisation Mintel​ to coincide with this week's Anuga food exhibition in Cologne shows that the Germans are the most traditional cooks in all of Europe, and that the traditional family meal still plays an important part in many people's lives there.

According to Mintel's research, almost six in 10 Germans sit down to a family meal at weekends, compared to well under half in both Spain and the UK and only just over half in France.

"The tradition that Sundays should be respected as a day of rest is still very strong in Germany, and this has led to the high number of families who sit down to eat meals together at the weekend,"​ commented Jenny Catlin, consumer analyst at Mintel.

Germans living in the east are by far the most likely to have a meal with their families at the weekend (seven in 10 do so), while those in the south west of Germany are the least likely to do so, with fewer than half.

The Germans are also the most traditional when it comes to the recipes they cook, as fewer than two in five (37 per cent) like to try out new recipes, the lowest in Europe.

"Germans prefer to stick to the tried and tested, time-honoured recipes, they know and love. This would explain why German women, who traditionally do the cooking in Germany, are the least likely in Europe to have to refer to a recipe when cooking,"​ said Catlin.

Furthermore the tradition of women being the household chefs is still very strong in Germany. In Europe, it is the German and Italian women who love cooking the most, with around 70 per cent saying they do. However German men, along with Spanish men, are the least likely to say they love to cook.

French chefs are most adventurous​

Mintel's report also found that the nation with perhaps the greatest culinary reputation in Europe - France - continues to lead the way when it comes to innovation, with six in 10 people there claiming to like to use new recipes. It is therefore not surprising that the French are also the most likely to have to refer to a recipe, with almost two in five doing so.

"The French not only love to experiment with food they also enjoy entertaining at home far more than any other west Europeans, particularly as a family but also with friends. The French are however the least likely to enjoy splashing out on a meal in a restaurant,"​ said Catlin.

In France children are expected to eat the same as the adults, with six in 10 adults saying that children should eat what they are given. This suggests that getting together as a family is still important, as one meal is enjoyed by the whole family.

"Changes in tastes through generations are likely to be less pronounced in France than elsewhere in Europe, as children are given dishes that their parents enjoy,"​ Catlin explained.

Convenience and tradition mark British habits​

The British are undoubtedly the biggest consumers of take-away food in Europe, with almost half of the British population doing so - more than double the number of Germans (22 per cent). Growing prosperity and consumer confidence has led to a boom in eating out and in take-away food. People in the UK are also the most likely in Europe to 'splash out' on a restaurant meal and the second most likely, after the Germans, to treat themselves to a meal in a 'good' restaurant on a regular occurence.

Despite all these changes, however, the British still love a roast on Sundays, with almost half of the British nation claiming to sit down to the traditional weekend meal. In Germany, roasts are also popular, with over one in three sitting down to a roast on a Sunday, underlining their commitment to tradition.

Reluctant chefs​

Fewer than a third of Spanish love to cook, which is far less than in other European countries. This would also explain why the Spanish spend the least amount of time and money on cooking at home. Only just over a third of people in Spain felt that they spent a lot of money on food, compared to over half in other European countries according to Mintel.

In Spain, entertaining at home is not a popular pastime either, as fewer than one in five Spaniards often ask friends over to eat, which is the lowest in Europe. "This is likely to be because the Spanish tend to eat out more than they used to, but it is an indication of the changing lifestyles in Spain. Working hours are gradually changing to conform to the rest of western Europe, with long lunch breaks followed by a siesta becoming less commonplace,"​ said Catlin.