Edinburgh residents spend £160m a year on takeaways according to new research

Edinburgh residents spend a staggering £160million a year on takeaways, according to new research.

New research has revealed that Edinburgh residents spend over 160 million a year on takeaways.

The analysis, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Specially Selected Pork, also revealed that more than a third - 37 per cent - of adults in Edinburgh are ordering takeaways every week.

Calculations for annual takeaway spends in other Scottish cities are as follows: Dundee - £49m; Inverness – £13.3m; Aberdeen - £82m; Stirling - £35m; Glasgow - £185m

A healthy sweet and sour pork dish.

Chinese was also revealed as Edinburgh’s most popular takeaway (44%), followed by Indian (19%), Italian (12%) and a chippy (10%).

But the research also showed that, of the 1,007 Scots interviewed as part of the nationwide survey, most believed the calorie count in their takeaway meals is less than in reality.

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) wants to highlight the healthier options available as part of its Go Places with Pork campaign, which encourages people to swap takeaways for 'fakeaway' options by sharing a range of convenient, low-fat alternatives inspired by world cuisine and using Specially Selected Pork from Scotland.

The campaign also aims to inspire younger generations with recipes tailor-made to suit busy lifestyles.

Kirsty Fox, QMS marketing manager, said: "With takeaway orders on the up, we’re encouraging consumers to instead consider alternatives that are healthier, quick and easy to make and more affordable.

"We’ve created delicious dupes of the nation’s favourites, including sweet and sour, Chinese noodles, tikka and souvlaki, each made using Specially Selected Pork, which is sourced from trusted Scottish farms which are approved by the Scottish SPCA.

"The research showed that people in Scotland are ordering an average of three takeaways a month, spending almost a day (19 hours) a year waiting for them to arrive. With this in mind, our recipes can be prepared and cooked in far less of the time it takes for an order to be delivered."

Shoppers are advised to look for the Specially Selected Pork label in supermarkets and butchers, and to visit the Scotch Kitchen website to discover a range of delicious recipes that support Scottish farmers.

The research took place between September 2nd and 6th and involved interviews with 1,007 Scots aged 16 and above.