Restaurant at-home sales return to real-terms growth in May

The UK’s top restaurant groups have seen their at-home revenues rise by 4% in May compared with the same month last year, according to data from NIQ.

The growth figure is just above the UK inflation rate and follows four consecutive months of sub-inflation growth. It represents the highest figure recorded by the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker since November 2024.

Data from the tracker shows the expansion was driven by delivery sales, which rose 8.9% on a like-for-like basis. Deliveries now account for 14.2p in every pound consumers spend with restaurants, up from 10.9p in May 2024.

The rollout of delivery services across the country accelerated this expansion, with total delivery sales growth reaching 16.3% in May. Conversely, revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders fell by 7.8% last month, marking 14 consecutive months of decline for the format.

Karl Chessell, director at NIQ, said: “After an exceptionally challenging start to 2026 for managed restaurants, real-terms growth for at-home sales in May is very welcome news. Consumers’ spending remains tightly squeezed and eat-in trading has been tracking below inflation for many months now, so deliveries are a vital source of cash. With the World Cup now underway, restaurants can look forward to further growth in June and July as people order in food for games.

“However, some deliveries are likely to have been ordered at the expense of eating-out visits. They also come with a hit to profit margins, which are already under strain from rising costs and taxes. It remains to be seen if current growth is limited to the summer or is a sign of better things to come for restaurants in the rest of 2026.”