The decline in meat consumption: an opportunity for carnivorous restaurants?

In ten years, meat consumption in France has fallen by 12%. While this lack of interest worries industry professionals, and in particular some restaurateurs, it can in fact represent a significant opportunity, provided we understand the ins and outs of the societal changes underway.

1. Falling meat consumption: a reflection of changing French eating habits

Energy-hungry lifestyles at the root of falling meat consumption

Changing lifestyles and family patterns have given rise to new eating habits. At a time when saving time and energy is central to the daily lives of most French people, their eating habits are increasingly adapted to the pace of everyday life. They sometimes have to reconcile married life, family life and a busy professional life, leaving little time for meal preparation. As a result, the French are devoting less and less time to preparing and simmering their favorite dishes for hours on end. They prefer meals that are quick and easy to prepare, with quick cooking (e.g. minced steak) taking over from longer cooking times (e.g. leg of lamb).[caption id="attachment_4434" align="alignnone" width="821"]

Malcolm In The Middle - 1999 20th Century Fox Television USA
Malcolm and his parents at the dinner table[/caption]

Prohibitive prices limit consumption of (good) meat

At a time of price inflation on food products, meat has been no exception and has not been spared. French households are seeing their purchases of meat products decline: either they can no longer afford to eat it at every meal, or they no longer wish to devote a significant proportion of their budget to this purchase.

As a result, they often opt for industrial, ready-to-eat meals, and are also very fond of fast food and delivery services, which are considered highly efficient. As proof of this, the number of restaurants affiliated with brands such as UberEats, Deliveroo and Just Eat continues to rise, and today a third of all meat eaten is in the form of sandwiches, burgers and ready meals.

Consumers more attentive to respect for the environment and their health

Numerous warnings about the harmful consequences of too regular consumption of processed or red meat have also prompted the French to reduce their meat consumption over the years. Consumer awareness of the devastating ecological impact of intensive industrial livestock farming has also undermined the appeal of meat products, especially given that the general food trend is towards " eating better and being more respectful of the environment ", which has notably contributed to the proliferation of minority food ideologies such as veganism, which we have already deciphered in this article.

Over the last few years, eating a balanced and responsible diet has gradually become part of French eating habits. They consume while taking into account their personal health and that of the community as a whole, i.e. the impact their food has on the environment. This habit is gradually taking hold among the younger generations, particularly the 18-34 age group, who are more attentive to the seasonality of products, their local origin and their nutritional qualities.

Quality at the heart of French people's concerns

54% of them consider quality to be a determining factor in the act of purchasing. For example, they look for labels in the catering sector, which allow them to be sure at a glance of the quality and authenticity of the products, or the social responsibility of the restaurant. What's more, concerned about animal welfare and the ecological consequences of factory farming, many French people are opting for flexitarianism, i.e. eating less meat, but occasionally eating better quality meat.So, with the "bien dans son assiette" trend gaining momentum, what expectations do French people have of their meat consumption? How can restaurateurs take advantage of the decline in meat consumption? What opportunities do they have to position themselves effectively in the face of French reluctance to eat meat products?

2. Quality meat, the watchword of consumer expectations

Meat hasn't said its last word

Even so, the French are far from stopping eating meat altogether: it is still very much a part of people's mindsets and traditions , and remains central to most family dinners and national or regional celebrations. Although the French have less and less time to devote to cooking and eating meat, the number of meals eaten outside the home is on the rise: one meal in five was eaten outside the home in 2018. This is reassuring news for restaurateurs, especially those offering meat on their menus, as it is specifically during these meals consumed away from home that French meat consumption is increasing!

Meat quality: France's top consumption criterion

The French are eating more and more meat in restaurants, and less at home. And it's clear that, in adopting a conscious and reasoned diet, it's quality meat that they want to see on their plates. Meat quality is thus becoming a real concern for consumers, and an issue for restaurateurs. But what do they mean by quality meat?Quality means transparency and traceability of meat products. What they are looking for is meat whose geographical origin, rearing conditions and, in particular, the way in which the animal has been fed, are known.

This explains why the organic meat market is rapidly gaining ground in France. 75% of French meat consumers have already eaten organic meat, which they consider more respectful of their health, the environment and animal welfare. 44% of them prefer togo to a restaurant offering organic meat, even if it means paying more for it... All the more reason for restaurateurs to pay close attention to their increasingly demanding customers.

Meat quality at the heart of carnivorous catering concepts

To adapt to new consumer expectations, food service entrepreneurs have developed an innovative offering that puts meat quality first.

Restaurant-boucheries : combining quality meat with tradition

The principle is simple: a butcher's shop in a restaurant, or rather a restaurant in a butcher's shop. The customer chooses a piece of meat, which is cut up in front of him, and then either tastes it on the spot or takes it home to cook it himself.

The first Parisian butcher's shop to embark on this adventure was Les Provinces in the twelfth arrondissement. Bidoche, another Parisian player, shares more or less the same concept except that here, the restaurant is hidden in the butcher's back room, making the customer's taste experience even more intriguing and appealing.In both cases, the restaurateurs have banked on the quality of the meat revealed by respect for the animal and the selection of the best free-range farms in the French regions. For example, Bidoche offers Pré Salé du Mont Saint-Michel, Bazadaise and Limousine lamb. The added value also comes from highlighting the expertise of our artisan butchers, and in particular their perfect knowledge of how to cook all our meats, for a singular experience based on the tasting of exceptional meat cooked with brio.

Fast-casual restaurants: combining quality meat and fast consumption

Following in the footsteps of this concept, which promotes meat through traditional French butchery, other entrepreneurs have chosen the"fast-casual" niche, a concept born of the combination of fast-food service and the quality of sit-down dining. Simply put, fast-casuals are the new premium fast-goods that capitalize on the "eat well" trend by offering local, organic, vegetarian, vegan or even "sans" products.PNY Burger, for example, claims to work with top-quality meat. The storytelling of their producer, Maison Ponclet, which takes great care in raising its animals, is featured prominently on their website.

Others have also chosen to combine traditional butchery and charcuterie with the speed of fast food. The idea is to democratize the quality of meat and the expertise of the culinary professions, by offering meat at a price accessible to as many people as possible.Persillé is the flagship example of fast casual butchery: the founders started from the simple observation that " less than 10% of meat is bought in butchers' shops, and butchers are the artisans where people buy their meat. less than 10% of meat is bought in butchers' shops, and that butchers are the artisans with whom the French queue the longest. ". Their aim was to make butchery products more attractive, and to raise awareness of butchery traditions and techniques.

To achieve this, they have taken the codes and decor of traditional butcher shops (old scales, pieces of meat hanging from hooks, butchers in aprons) and added the mechanisms of fast food. Like fast-food restaurants, menus and formulas are displayed on illuminated screens, and Americanized products such as hot dogs and hamburgers are offered. Even better: the Brut Butcher chaintakes the fast-food concept to the extreme, with touch-screen ordering kiosks where you order, pay and then wait for your meal to arrive.[caption id="attachment_4443" align="alignnone" width="832"]

Brut Butcher's kiosks[/caption][/caption].

Traditional restaurants: a focus on meat quality

Other more traditional restaurants have also come up with a new, higher-quality meat offering. These include Rhino Rouge, Flesh and MELT, which were among the first to reinvent the barbecue in the capital. Their concept is tocombine high-end smoking techniques with an equally high-quality meat offering.

And it's working: two MELT restaurants have opened in Paris in just two years, with many more on the way. Hippopotamus, already well known among meat restaurants, has begun to move upmarket. With the opening of Hippopotamus Wagram in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, the brand is showcasing a decor created with noble, natural materials (brick, leather, wood) and is renewing its menu to give pride of place to the meat's origin and breed.

Quality and authenticity at the heart of omnivorous restaurant concepts

However, if your catering offer doesn't revolve around meat, don't panic! What's important for consumers is authenticity. If you offer meat as part of your menu, but it doesn't characterize the identity of your restaurant, simply highlight its quality in your communications (on your menus, on your website, on your social media...). The important thing is to show your customers that you are aware of the new issues that concern them and guide their consumption, and that you share these same considerations that you apply within your brand.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the figures show that meat consumption is on the decline. The standard of living of the French, and the importance attached to respect for the planet, animal welfare and our health are undoubtedly among the criteria that have led to these changes in our eating habits. However, they are not the only explanation for this phenomenon, and it would be wrong to paint the picture totally black: numerous studies show that the French are not completely averse to eating meat, but simply place increasing importance on the quality of the products they consume. With quality meat proving costly, more and more consumers are eating out at least once a week, and preferring to eat meat when they go to a restaurant. Meat has therefore not said its last word, and many restaurateurs have understood this. New restaurant concepts centered on quality meat products are developing, basing their communications on their differentiating positioning and, in particular, on their desire to respect animal welfare and our planet.So, knowing that 48% of French people are sensitive to these issues, promoting and offering quality meat, raised in the open air by small regional producers, with respect for animals and nature, is an excellent way of attracting customers who are increasingly concerned about protecting the environment.