IPSOS-Survey reveals– The Evolving Indian Palate : ‘ Indo-western Vegetarian’ is the new rage

The Evolving Indian Palate :

'Indo-Western Vegetarian' is the new rage reveals IPSOS Survey

•    Nationwide survey finds growing popularity of western food in Indian kitchens with 79% of

western food consuming urban households preparing it at least once a week

•    Western food is increasingly being prepared as a full meal and not just a snack

•    Italian is the most preferred cuisine for preparing western Food at home, followed by

Continental, American and Mexican

•    68% respondents feel 'ease of cooking' as the primary reason for their preference of

'Western' Food

•    Western Sauces and Spreads has emerged as one of the fastest growing Western food

categories in India led by Dr. Oetker Fun Foods

Mumbai, November 11, 2019: Global market and opinion research specialist, Ipsos, today revealed findings from a new survey to understand western food consumption patterns among urban Indians. Survey titled 'The Evolving Indian Palate', which

establishes the growing popularity of western foods among

Indians was commissioned by Dr. Oetker which houses Fun Foods, a leading brand for Western Sauces and Spreads in India. Survey was conducted with 1000 households across 14 cities who consumed non-home cooked western food in the last 1 month and prepared western food at home, with the help of western sauces or spreads, at least once a month.

Western food is increasingly being

made at home as a full meal

• Trigger for western food - easy to

cook as well as has a wide

acceptance

• 4 in 5 households preparing

western food do it at least once a

week

• 34 % of homemade western food

consumption occasions are full

meals (lunch or dinner)

• Homemade          western         foo

Revealing the purpose behind the study, Mr Oliver Mirza,

Managing Director & CEO for Dr. Oetker India & SAARC said, "As a leader in Western pleasure food category, Dr. Oetker is architecting the growth for western sauces and spreads in India. It is our endeavour to constantly learn and understand how consumption habits are evolving to further innovate and introduce offerings that appeal to consumers. The Dr. Oetker- Ipsos survey has revealed some interesting insights on the

consumption heavier in the

evenings

• Western food prepared at home is

often a full meal and not just a snack

• Western Food is more functional

than just means of celebration

• Western Food more popular

western food consumption habits in urban India. It is indeed

amongst

younger

consumer

encouraging for us to see that consumers today are more open t

(below 30 years of age

experimenting with food in their kitchens with Indo-Western

fusion food becoming a rage in particular. Even in our new campaign, we are focusing on this aspect of Indo-Western food."

"We have been growing at a healthy rate on the back of our product and marketing innovations. While many FMCG companies are reporting slowdown, we have witnessed high double-digit growth in 2019. This strongly establishes that western and Indo-Western food prepared at home and are fast evolving

as significant new categories in the Indian homes.

Speaking on the occasion, Sreyoshi Maitra, Executive Director,

Ipsos, said, "India is a country with diverse food preferences with starkly different regional cuisines. Despite the entrenched traditional food habits, urban Indians are increasingly becoming

open to Western cuisine with more people taking to Western

food as a part of their regular consumption regime. Wide access to information, time-pressed and evolving lifestyles, are the key factors to this change." The advantage that western food has in terms of ease of preparation makes it a convenient choice, the Dr. Oetker - Ipsos survey has further revealed.

"Interestingly, kitchens in the western food consuming Indian households have on an average three western sauces (apart from

Ketchup) of which mayonnaise and pasta pizza sauce top the charts. This has contributed to the affinity towards Indo-Western

fusion food in India, with western sauces making its way into the

repertoire even when desi food is being prepared." she added.

Detailed Survey Findings:

According to the Dr. Oetker - Ipsos survey, western food has today come all the way to become a choice which is 'often made

at home as a full meal and not just a snack'. This is a significant development considering Indians are perceived to be extremely

traditional about their native food choices. As per the findings,

79% of households preparing western food, do it at least once a week, which is mostly consumed during evening or dinner times

as a full meal. However, only about 19% of households consume

western food during breakfast. Key trigger for the growing

interest in western foods is convenience with comments like it is

'easy to cook' (68%) and has wide acceptance, with comments like 'good to share with family and friends' (57%), 'Enjoyed by

children' (53%) and 'Good to serve to guests'(46%).

Another significant finding of the study is the validation of the arrival of the 'Indo-Western Food', with western sauces finding their way into Indian cuisines and emergence of 'fusion food'. 97% of urban Indians preparing western food were found to be mixing western sauces with Indian food, giving rise to combinations such as the use of a western sauce either as a dip, along with Samosas, pakoras, kachori and paratha or western

Popular western food cuisines • Italian is the most preferred

western cuisine

• American most tried cuisine, but

Italian most preferred for

preparing at home

• Italian preferred more for dinner,

American/ Continental more

during breakfast

• While Burgers considered easy to

prepare, the preference for Pasta

and Pizza stemming from

preferred taste and pester power

• Pizza prepared in 1 out of 3

households having kids

Indo- Western food has arrived as a

new rage

• Most kitchens have a repertoire of

western sauces they use regularly

• Western sauces not only popular

as dips, also used in preparing

Indian cuisines

• Popular uses as a dip are with

samosa, pakora, kachori and

paratha

• Popular uses as an ingredient are

with rice pulao, egg bhurji, paneer

bhurji, paneer/ egg gravy

• Pasta & pizza sauce sees the most

versatile use, high on taste and

easy to customise

Not Just Indo-Western, but 'Indo-

Western Vegetarian' is trending

• Italian, Continental prepared at

home is predominantly vegetarian

sauces being used while preparing dishes like rice pulao, egg • American either non-veg or a mix

bhurji or paneer bhurji. Among the western sauces used for fusion foodf, boayonnaise and -Pasta & o Mth veg and non veg Pizza sauces are considered most versatile, the first is an ideal blender and the second a taste enhancer and both are easy to customise

Interestingly, the Indo-Western-Vegetarian is becoming a trend,

with more people preparing Italian and Continental as predominantly vegetarian meals (66%). American food such as

burgers are either prepared as non-veg or a mix of both veg and

non-veg.

However, western food is not relegated to special or celebratory occasions. 70% respondents claim that western food is more likely to be a meal replacement rather than being limited to occasions owing to its ease of preparation.

What is most interesting is that preparation of western food breaks down the gender barriers. Preparation of western food at home is not solitary anymore - with everybody, especially men, helping in. The study found that irrespective of cuisines, preparation of western foods at home is a family affair with 2 out of 5 people preparing meals with assistance such as spouse (34%), friend (23%) or other family member (38%).

Among the western food choices, Italian is the most preferred cuisine prepared at home (36% preference), followed by continental (30%) and American (30%) and Mexican (3%). However, American is the most tried cuisine to prepare at home

at 72%. Also, Italian is preferred more for dinner (28%) while

American is preferred most for breakfast (29%). What works in

Western food being embraced more

by the younger consumers

• 7 out of 10 western food

consumers are below 30 years of

age; the western food drive is

being led by the youth and

children in families

• Often, the youth preparing

western food for themselves and

adults for children

'Eating-out-at-home' is a relatively

bigger phenomenon currently in the

entire non-home western food

landscape

• More than 4 in 10 times,

consumers order western food

home

Cooking is not solitary anymore -

everybody (Especially men) are

helping in

• Irrespective of cuisines, cooking is

a family affair for 2 out of 5

people, who prepare meals with

assistanc

favour of burgers, is that they are easiest to prepare, while the preference for Pasta and Pizzas emanate from their taste and pester power. Pizzas and children have a strong bond - the study found

that Pizza is the No. 1 choice of food prepared by families with kids (33%) followed by Pasta (24%).

Expectedly, younger people are embracing western foods more. As a result, 7 out of 10 western food consumers are below 30 years of age, with the western food drive being led mostly by the youth and children in their families. Most often, the youth take to the kitchens to prepare western foods for themselves rather than to feed others, as evident from 23% weight going in favour of mostly single people in age group of 18-25 years cooking/ preparing meals it for the 'me-time'.

About Dr. Oetker

Oetker Group is a German conglomerate established in 1891. Today, with five different business

divisions namely continental pleasure food, beer, sparkling wine, banking, hotel collection and about

26,000 employees, it is Germany's largest family owned diversified industrial groups with a turnover of over Euro 7 Bn.. The food brand Dr. Oetker is the global leader in Thin crust Pizza, European leader

in Home Baking & Muesli categories and is present in more than 50 countries across the world.

Dr. Oetker India, established in 2008, is the retail market leader in Western Sauces and Spreads with its FunFoods sub-brand.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is now the third largest market research company in the world, present in 90 markets and

employing more than 18,000 people.

Our research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients,

customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data coming from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques.