Abstract
The thesis is concerned with an interdisciplinary investigation of the regional food preferences of the British population. The existence, nature and prevalence of current food preferences within geographical regions of Britain, in terms of food groups, food commodities, dishes and nutrients, are examined in the domestic situation and within school, hospital, industrial and commercial sectors of the catering industry. Definitions of 'food' and 'food preferences' are derived, the factors governing preferences are considered and the historical development of each type of catering is briefly reviewed. Food consumption is used as the main indicator of preference but an insufficiency of available raw data and very few pertinent secondary sources of information, necessitate the use of personal communication as a research technique. Regional household food preferences are identified primarily by use of published data, while preferences of schoolchildren and hospital patients are investigated by collection of dish 'uptake' statistics acquired from local education and health authorities. Indications of regional preferences of employees are derived from published data, some dish 'uptake' statistics and also personal interviews with industrial caterers. The nature of the commercial catering sector is found to restrict the acquisition of raw data and so preferences are researched mainly by personal interviews and postal questionnaires. The findings indicate that regional preferences are most pronounced in the household situation, but slightly less so in school and hospital catering. Although some regional preferences do emerge from within employee catering, differences in food consumption also seem to relate significantly to the type of occupation. Regional preferences are least apparent in the commercial sector and especially the popular market, although more expensive establishments appear to be increasingly featuring traditional regional fare, particularly in tourist areas. Consideration is also given in the thesis to the development of regional food preferences, their modification within the catering industry, future influences upon them and the possible uses to be derived from their identification.