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

Lokman Dinc; Rong Huang

doi:10.31822/jomat.2025-10-1-1

EN

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

Abstract

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

Keywords

Organic food consumption , ; Casual dining , Fine dining , Model of diners’ organic food consumption behaviour

References

Aertsens, J., Mondelaers, K., Verbeke, W., Buysse, J., & Van Huylenbroeck, G. (2011). The influence of subjective and objective knowledge on attitude, motivations and consumption of organic food. British Food Journal, 113(11), 1353-1378.
Agovino, M., Crociata, A., Quaglione, D., Sacco, P., & Sarra, A. (2017). Good taste tastes good. Cultural capital as a determinant of organic food purchase by Italian consumers: Evidence and policy implications. Ecological economics, 141, 66-75.
Anisimova, T. (2016). Integrating multiple factors affecting consumer behavior toward organic foods: The role of healthism, hedonism, and trust in consumer purchase intentions of organic foods. Journal of food products marketing, 22(7), 809-823.
Asioli, D., Aschemann-Witzel, J., Caputo, V., Vecchio, R., Annunziata, A., Næs, T., & Varela, P. (2017). Making sense of the “clean label” trends: A review of consumer food choice behavior and discussion of industry implications. Food Research International, 99, 58-71.
Basha, M. B. (2014). Driving factors of purchase intention towards organic food: A conceptual study. 2014 4th International Conference on Engineering Technology and Technopreneuship (ICE2T),
Basha, M. B., & Lal, D. (2019). Indian consumers' attitudes towards purchasing organically produced foods: An empirical study. Journal of cleaner production, 215, 99-111.
Batte, M. T., Hooker, N. H., Haab, T. C., & Beaverson, J. (2007). Putting their money where their mouths are: Consumer willingness to pay for multi-ingredient, processed organic food products. Food Policy, 32(2), 145-159.
BHR. (2015). Food Service Management Market Report. The British Hospitality Association. Retrieved 30/11/2019 from https://www.bha.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BHA-FSM-Report-2015.pdf
Boccaletti, S., & Nardella, M. (2000). Consumer willingness to pay for pesticide-free fresh fruit and vegetables in Italy. The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 3(3), 297-310.
Bonn, M. A., Cronin Jr, J. J., & Cho, M. (2016). Do environmental sustainable practices of organic wine suppliers affect consumers’ behavioral intentions? The moderating role of trust. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 57(1), 21-37.

Brown, C., & Sperow, M. (2005). Examining the cost of an all-organic diet. Journal of Food Distribution Research, 36(856-2016-57427), 20-26.
Bruschi, V., Shershneva, K., Dolgopolova, I., Canavari, M., & Teuber, R. (2015). Consumer perception of organic food in emerging markets: evidence from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Agribusiness, 31(3), 414-432.
Burgess, R. G. (1984). In thefield: An introduction tofield research. In: London: Allen and Unwin.
Chen, M.-F. (2009). Attitude toward organic foods among Taiwanese as related to health consciousness, environmental attitudes, and the mediating effects of a healthy lifestyle. British Food Journal, 111(2), 165-178.
Chen, Y.-S. (2010). The drivers of green brand equity: Green brand image, green satisfaction, and green trust. Journal of Business ethics, 93(2), 307-319.
Crichton, S. (2019). Digging into the organic market. https://www.triodos.co.uk/articles/2019/five-key-trends-from-the-organic-market-report
D'Souza, C., Taghian, M., & Lamb, P. (2006). An empirical study on the influence of environmental labels on consumers. Corporate communications: an international journal, 11(2), 162-173.
De Toni, D., Eberle, L., Larentis, F., & Milan, G. S. (2018). Antecedents of perceived value and repurchase intention of organic food. Journal of food products marketing, 24(4), 456-475.
Devic-Blanuša, J., Kalenjuk, B., & Gagic, S. (2017). Organic food in the hospitality industry: Supply and demand. Zbornik radova Departmana za geografiju, turizam i hotelijerstvo(46-2), 89-95.
DiPietro, R. B., & Gregory, S. (2013). A comparative study of customer perceptions regarding green restaurant practices: Fast food vs. upscale casual. Hospitality Review, 30(1), 1.
Dolezalová, H., Pícha, K., Navrátil, J., Veselá, M., & Svec, R. (2016). Perception of quality in decision making regarding purchase of organic food. Calitatea, 17(153), 86.
Dudovskiy, J. (2016). The ultimate guide to writing a dissertation in business studies: A step-by-step assistance. Pittsburgh, USA.
Duffort, M. (2006). Minimising the impact? The meanings of organic food. Retrieved June, 26, 2008.
Everett, S., & Aitchison, C. (2008). The role of food tourism in sustaining regional identity: A case study of Cornwall, South West England. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(2), 150-167.
Filimonau, V., & Grant, M. (2017). Exploring the concept of dining out organically: a managerial perspective. Anatolia, 28(1), 80-92.
Fotopoulos, C., & Krystallis, A. (2002). Organic product avoidance: reasons for rejection and potential buyers’ identification in a countrywide survey. British Food Journal, 104(3/4/5), 233-260.
Frash Jr, R. E., DiPietro, R., & Smith, W. (2015). Pay more for McLocal? Examining motivators for willingness to pay for local food in a chain restaurant setting. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 24(4), 411-434.
Gössling, S. (2018). Tourism, tourist learning and sustainability: An exploratory discussion of complexities, problems and opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(2), 292-306.
Grzybowska-Brzezinska, M., Grzywinska-Rapca, M., Zuchowski, I., & Bórawski, P. (2017). Organic food attributes determing consumer choices. European Research Studies, 20(2), 164.
Hall, C. M., & Gössling, S. (2013). Sustainable culinary systems: Local foods, innovation, and tourism & hospitality. Routledge.
Hansen, T., Sørensen, M. I., & Eriksen, M.-L. R. (2018). How the interplay between consumer motivations and values influences organic food identity and behavior. Food Policy, 74, 39-52.
Harvey, F. (2021a). Steep rise in UK's consumption of organic food. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/10/steep-rise-in-uks-consumption-of-organic-food
Harvey, F. (2021b). Steep rise in UK's consumption of organic food. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/10/steep-rise-in-uks-consumption-of-organic-food
Holmes, M. R., Dodds, R., Deen, G., Lubana, A., Munson, J., & Quigley, S. (2018). Local and organic food on wheels: exploring the use of local and organic food in the food truck industry. Journal of foodservice business research, 21(5), 493-510.
Honkanen, P., Verplanken, B., & Olsen, S. O. (2006). Ethical values and motives driving organic food choice. Journal of Consumer Behavior : An International Research Review, 5(5), 420-430.
Hoppe, A., Vieira, L. M., & Barcellos, M. D. d. (2013). Consumer behavior towards organic food in porto alegre: an application of the theory of planned behavior . Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural, 51(1), 69-90.
Hossain, M. T. B., & Lim, P. X. (2016). Consumers’ Buying Behavior towards Organic Foods: Evidence from the Emerging Market. Malaysian Management Review, 51(2), 7-25.
Hwang, J., & Ok, C. (2013). The antecedents and consequence of consumer attitudes toward restaurant brands: A comparative study between casual and fine dining restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 32, 121-131.
Jang, Y. J., Kim, W. G., & Bonn, M. A. (2011). Generation Y consumers’ selection attributes and behavioral intentions concerning green restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(4), 803-811.
Jayawardena, H. N., Wijesundara, W. G. S. R., & Herath, H. M. J. P. (2022). Exploring Organic Food Consumption Demand in Casual Dining Restaurants in Western Province of Sri Lanka; From the Restaurant Managers’ Perspective. Asian Journal of Management, Entrepreneurship and Social Science, 2(01), 18-37.
Jimenez-Chavez, R., Connors, P., & Josiam, B. (2016). The influence of organic labeling and price on restaurant menu choice. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(7), S105.
Jongmans, E., Dampérat, M., Jeannot, F., Lei, P., & Jolibert, A. (2019). What is the added value of an organic label? Proposition of a model of transfer from the perspective of ingredient branding. Journal of Marketing Management, 35(3-4), 338-363.
Kim, H., & Bonn, M. A. (2015). The moderating effects of overall and organic wine knowledge on consumer behavioral intention. Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 15(3), 295-310.
Kim, R., Suwunnamek, O., & Toyoda, T. (2008). Consumer attitude towards organic labeling schemes in Japan. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 20(3), 55-71.
Konuk, F. A. (2019). The influence of perceived food quality, price fairness, perceived value and satisfaction on customers’ revisit and word-of-mouth intentions towards organic food restaurants. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 103-110.
Kowalska, A., Ratajczyk, M., Manning, L., Bieniek, M., & Macik, R. (2021). “Young and Green” a Study of Consumers’ Perceptions and Reported Purchasing Behavior towards Organic Food in Poland and the United Kingdom. Sustainability, 13(23), 13022.
Li, S., & Jaharuddin, N. S. (2021). Identifying the key purchase factors for organic food among Chinese consumers. Frontiers of Business Research in China, 14(1), 1-23.
Lian, S. B. (2017). What motivates consumers to purchase organic food in Malaysia? Asian Social Science, 13(9), 100-109.
Lockie, S., Lyons, K., Lawrence, G., & Grice, J. (2004). Choosing organics: a path analysis of factors underlying the selection of organic food among Australian consumers. Appetite, 43(2), 135-146.
Lu, L., & Gursoy, D. (2017). Does offering an organic food menu help restaurants excel in competition? An examination of diners’ decision-making. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 63, 72-81.
Lyons, K., Lockie, S., & Lawrence, G. (2001). Consuming ‘green’: The symbolic construction of organic foods. Rural Society, 11(3), 197-210.
Magnusson, M. K., Arvola, A., Koivisto Hursti, U.-K., Åberg, L., & Sjödén, P.-O. (2001). Attitudes towards organic foods among Swedish consumers. British Food Journal, 103(3), 209-227.
Marian, L., Chrysochou, P., Krystallis, A., & Thøgersen, J. (2014). The role of price as a product attribute in the organic food context: An exploration based on actual purchase data. Food Quality and Preference, 37, 52-60.
Mathews, K. (2020-2017). Global Organic Food Market Forecast and Opportunities https://www.techsciresearch.com/news/462-global-organic-food-market-to-grow-at-over-16-by-2020.html
Mauracher, C., Procidano, I., & Valentini, M. (2019). How product attributes and consumer characteristics influence the WTP, resulting in a higher price premium for organic wine. Sustainability, 11(5), 1428.
McClure, C., & Seock, Y.-K. (2020). The role of involvement: Investigating the effect of brand's social media pages on consumer purchase intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101975.
McEachern, M. G., & Mcclean, P. (2002). Organic purchasing motivations and attitudes: are they ethical? International Journal of Consumer Studies, 26(2), 85-92.
Mhlophe, J. B. (2015). Antecedents of consumer purchase intentions towards organic food produces: a case study of the Johannesburg municipality
Namkung, Y., & Jang, S. S. (2013). Effects of restaurant green practices on brand equity formation: do green practices really matter? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 33, 85-95.
NRA. (2015). Technology, Lifestyle Food Choices Evolving Trends for 2015. National Restaurant Association. https://upperlakesfoods.com/technology-lifestyle-food-choices-evolving-trends-for-2015/
NRA. (2016). What’s Hot: 2016 Culinary Forecast. National Restaurant Association. http://www.restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/News-Research/WhatsHot2016
Organicgrowersalliance. (2021). Organic produce is in demand: UK organic market celebrates sixth year of growth. https://organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/organic-produce-is-in-demand-uk-organic-market-celebrates-sixth-year-of-growth/
Pang, S. M., Tan, B. C., & Lau, T. C. (2021). Antecedents of Consumers’ Purchase Intention towards Organic Food: Integration of Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory. Sustainability, 13(9), 5218.
Petrescu, D. C., Petrescu-Mag, R. M., Burny, P., & Azadi, H. (2017). A new wave in Romania: organic food. Consumers’ motivations, perceptions, and habits. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 41(1), 46-75.
Pham, T. H., Nguyen, T. N., Phan, T. T. H., & Nguyen, N. T. (2018). Evaluating the purchase behavior of organic food by young consumers in an emerging market economy. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-17.
Pileliene, L., & Tamuliene, V. (2021). Consumer attitudes and behavior towards organic products: Evidence from the Lithuanian market. Journal of entrepreneurship, management and innovation. Nowy Sacz: Natl Louis University, 2021, Vol. 17, iss. 1.
Poulston, J., & Yiu, A. Y. K. (2011). Profit or principles: Why do restaurants serve organic food? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(1), 184-191.
Price, S., Viglia, G., Hartwell, H., Hemingway, A., Chapleo, C., Appleton, K., Saulais, L., Mavridis, I., & Perez-Cueto, F. J. (2016). What are we eating? Consumer information requirement within a workplace canteen. Food Quality and Preference, 53, 39-46.
Radman, M. (2005). Consumer consumption and perception of organic products in Croatia. British Food Journal, 107(4), 263-273.
Ramsden, J. (2014). Do TV cookery programmes really influence the way we cook. The Guardian, 14, 83-107.
Rana, J., & Paul, J. (2017). Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: A review and research agenda. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 38, 157-165.
Rana, J., & Paul, J. (2020). Health motive and the purchase of organic food: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 44(2), 162-171.
Rohman, F., Abadi, Y. B., Soelton, M., Prasetyo, N., & Saratian, E. T. (2020). The effect of environmentally friendly paper toward purchasing intention. 4th International Conference on Management, Economics and Business (ICMEB 2019),
Saleki, Z. S., & Seyedsaleki, S. M. (2012). The main factors influencing purchase behavior of organic products in Malaysia. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 4(1), 98-116.
Shepherd, R., Magnusson, M., & Sjödén, P.-O. (2005). Determinants of consumer behavior related to organic foods. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 34(4), 352-360.
Shin, J., & Mattila, A. S. (2019). When organic food choices shape subsequent food choices: The interplay of gender and health consciousness. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 76, 94-101.
Shin, Y. H., Im, J., Jung, S. E., & Severt, K. (2018). Locally Sourced Restaurant: Consumers Willingness to Pay. Journal of foodservice business research, 21(1), 68-82.
Shin, Y. H., Im, J., Jung, S. E., & Severt, K. (2019). Motivations behind Consumers’ Organic Menu Choices: The Role of Environmental Concern, Social Value, and Health Consciousness. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 20(1), 107-122.
Smith, T. A., Huang, C. L., & Lin, B.-H. (2009). Does price or income affect organic choice? Analysis of US fresh produce users. Journal of Agricultural and Applied economics, 41(3), 731-744.
SoilAssociation. (2020). Organic Market Report 2020. https://www.soilassociation.org/press-centre/press-releases/omr-2020/
SoilAssociation. (2022). The Organic Market Report 2021. https://www.soilassociation.org/certification/market-research-and-data/the-organic-market-report-2021/
Statistic, O. f. N. (2020). Restaurants in London. Office for National Statistic Retrieved from https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation/adhocs/009781restaurantsinlondon
Teng, C.-C., & Wang, Y.-M. (2015). Decisional factors driving organic food consumption: Generation of consumer purchase intentions. British Food Journal, 117(3), 1066-1081.
USDA. (2015). National organic program. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 30/11/2019 from https://www.ams.usda.gov/
Vindigni, G., Janssen, M. A., & Jager, W. (2002). Organic food consumption: A multi-theoretical framework of consumer decision making. British Food Journal, 104(8), 624-642.
Wijesinghe, A., & Nazreen, A. (2020). Consumer willingness to pay for organic rice: with reference to Kurunegala District in Sri Lanka. Kelaniya Journal of Management, 9(1), 35.
Wojciechowska-Solis, J., & Barska, A. (2021). Exploring the preferences of consumers’ organic products in aspects of sustainable consumption: The case of the polish consumer. Agriculture, 11(2), 138.
Wu, H.-C., Cheng, C.-C., & Ai, C.-H. (2019). What drives green experiential loyalty towards green restaurants? Tourism Review.
Xie, B., Wang, L., Yang, H., Wang, Y., & Zhang, M. (2015). Consumer perceptions and attitudes of organic food products in Eastern China. British Food Journal, 117(3), 1105-1121.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Food and Hospitality Services

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Lokman Dinc ^*
0000-0002-8219-5248
Türkiye

Rong Huang This is me
United Kingdom

Early Pub Date

November 11, 2024

Publication Date

April 8, 2025

Submission Date

August 24, 2023

Acceptance Date

November 10, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 10 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2025-10-1-1

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA46SR34RX

APA

Dinc, L., & Huang, R. (2025). Organic food consumption at casual and fine dining restaurants in the Uk: Restaurant managers’ perspectives. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, 10(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2025-10-1-1

Cited By

Dynamics of Usage and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge of Edible Wild Plants: The Case of Central Black Sea Region

Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi

https://doi.org/10.32709/akusosbil.1461451

All the contents of this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License * and available as full open access.

* JOMAT implemented a phased transition in its licensing policy between 2022 and 2023. Articles published prior to this transition were licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license. As of 2024, all newly published articles are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license.

Öz

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

Abstract

Keywords

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Early Pub Date

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

Cite

Cited By

Dynamics of Usage and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge of Edible Wild Plants: The Case of Central Black Sea Region