Menu Design in the UK Food Service Sector: Nudging Consumers towards More Environmentally Sustainable Food Choices (Study Protocol)

Objectives:
Since the introduction of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of pro-environmental behaviour, and an increasing level of conscious consumerism over sustainable and plant-based eating. In 2022, households in the UK spent an average of £1,628 ($1,946) on eating out in restaurants; the contribution that the food service sector can make to a more environmentally sustainable food system is substantial. In previous studies, food menus have been used to effectively influence consumer food choice through changes to menu labelling, altering the layout, and manipulating the type of information provided. This study will investigate the design of menus in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the UK and develop and implement a menu-based intervention to promote environmentally sustainable dishes.

Methods:
Data will be collected through one-to-one interviews with restaurant head chefs (n=20) and focus groups with adult consumers (n=24). This qualitative component will explore participants’ awareness and perceptions of sustainable food. Participants will be head chefs and customers drawn from SMEs that offer mid-range, à la carte, cook-to-order dishes with table ordering and service. Qualitative data will be analysed using an inductive thematic approach, and findings, alongside input from professional bodies, will inform the development of a menu-based intervention. Menus will be evaluated using a Sustainable Food Profiling Model to rank dishes in order of their environmental impact and identify the dishes to be promoted. The intervention will then be implemented in two restaurants. Data (e.g., dishes ordered, dish category) will be collected over four (baseline) and six (intervention) weeks using the restaurants’ Electronic Point of Sale system. The data will be examined to determine consumer food choices and the selection of menu items, and whether selection of the promoted sustainable dishes changed during the intervention.

Conclusions:
This study will extend the evidence on menu design and sustainability performance of restaurants. The work will also inform the discussion on the potential of nudge-based approaches in influencing consumer behaviour.