Out of Home Food Intake and Behaviours Among Adults Living in Scotland, 2025

IMPORTANT ‐ Please read carefully 

For this project to be a success, we would like you to complete 3 food diaries, of all the food and drinks you had on the previous day. 

When you complete this initial survey you will automatically be directed to the first food diary. We will use the details you provide later in the survey to send you a link to the second and third food diaries via email or text message. You will receive these on two random days over the next week. One of those days could be tomorrow.

If you just complete this initial survey you will receive a £5 voucher.
If you complete this initial survey and 3 food diaries you will receive a £20 voucher.
 

Thank you so much for agreeing to take part in this research study aimed at finding out more about consumption of out-of-home food in Scotland. When we say out-of-home food, we are talking about all food and non-alcoholic drinks purchased from one of the following: 

• Food on the go from a supermarket, convenience store or corner shop (e.g. meal deals, but NOT a ready meal)
• A quick service restaurant or take away e.g. eaten at home or at a friend’s house (e.g. McDonald’s, Burger King, Indian, Chinese etc)
• A sit-down restaurant (e.g. Wagamama, Pizza Express, Independents)
• A pub (e.g. Wetherspoons, independents)
• A café or coffee shop (e.g. Costa Coffee, Starbucks)
• A bakery or sandwich shop
• Petrol stations, cinemas or workplace canteens
• Hotels, leisure venues, travel hubs
• Vending machines
• Food delivery services (e.g. Uber Eats, Deliveroo or Just Eat, independent delivery services) 

This can be eaten outside of the home or in home. Please familiarise yourself with the instruction sheet before starting.  Please click on 'Start' to begin your pre-task.

1. What is your name?

This pre-task will focus on the last occasion in which you consumed out-of-home food.

First, we’d like to understand what led up to your food choice.

2. Which of the following outlets did you purchase your out-of-home food from?

• Food on the go from a supermarket, convenience store or corner shop (e.g. supermarket meal deal)
• Quick service restaurant or take away (e.g. McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Indian take away, Chinese take away)
• Sit-down restaurant (e.g. Wagamama, Pizza Express, independents)
• A pub or bar
• A café or coffee shop
• A bakery or sandwich shop
• Petrol station, cinema or workplace canteen
• A vending machine

3. In as much detail as possible, please describe what out-of-home food you have eaten.

4. Please upload any pictures of the food below.
Please upload a max of 5 photos.

5. Please upload any videos of the food below.
Please upload a max of 5 videos.

6. Who was the food for?

• Just me
• Me and my partner/spouse
• Me and my child/children
• Me, my partner/spouse and my child/children
• Me and my friend(s)
• Me and my colleague(s)
• Other (please specify) __________

7. Which of the following best describes the out-of-home food you consumed?

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Snack

8. When did you purchase the out-of-home food?

• Early morning (before 9am)
• Mid-morning (9am-11.59am)
• Early afternoon (12pm-1.59pm)
• Late afternoon (2pm-4.59pm)
• Evening (5pm-9pm)
• Late night (after 9pm)

9. When did you consume the out-of-home food?

• Early morning (before 9am)
• Mid-morning (9am-11.59am)
• Early afternoon (12pm-1.59pm)
• Late afternoon (2pm-4.59pm)
• Evening (5pm-9pm)
• Late night (after 9pm)

10. Which, if any, of the following best describes the MAIN reason why you decided to eat out-of-home food?

• Quick/saves time
• Can eat on the move
• Easy to come by
• Wide variety
• Don't have to cook
• Treat
• Socialising
• Value for money
• Other (please specify) 

11. In your own words, how were you feeling when you decided to eat out-of-home food?

Next, we’d like to know about how you bought your food.

12. How did you buy your food?

• In person at the outlet
• Via a delivery app (e.g. Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat)
• Via the venues own website/app
• Via phone call
• Other (please specify) __________

13. Please upload any pictures of the outlet or delivery app screenshots below.
Please upload a max of 5 photos or screenshots

14. Please upload any videos of the outlet below.
Please upload a max of 5 videos.

15. Who was with you when making the purchase?

• Just me
• My partner/spouse
• My child/children
• My friend(s)
• My colleague(s)
• Other (please specify) __________

16. In your own words, please describe how you felt while choosing and purchasing your food.

Finally, we’d like to hear about your experience and how you felt afterwards.

17.  How did you feel when you first saw or received your food?

• Very excited
• Somewhat excited
• Neutral
• Somewhat disappointed
• Very disappointed

18. In your own words, how did you feel while eating your food?

19. How much did the food cost? Please write cost below without using the £ sign.

20. On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is very poor and 5 is excellent, how would you rate the food in terms of value for money?

21. On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is not at all and 5 is very, how satisfied were you with the food you purchased?

22. In your words, please describe how you felt after finishing your food.

23. Is this a typical for you?

1. Yes
2. No

24. Can you please describe what a typical looks like for you?

Please click 'Done' to submit.

We are inviting you to take part in a survey to find out more about out of home eating in Scotland. About 1,000 adults across Scotland will take part in this survey. The project is funded by Food Standards Scotland and is being carried out by the University of Edinburgh and Taylor McKenzie, a research survey company based in Glasgow. The Human Ethical Review Committee (HERC) at the University of Edinburgh has reviewed and given a favourable opinion of this project (study number: HERC_2025_079).

What will happen if I decide to take part?

The survey agency, Taylor McKenzie, will ask you to complete a short questionnaire about you and your household. We would then like you to complete three food diaries over one week. We will ask for your email address and/or mobile phone number. These details will be held securely by Taylor McKenzie and will only be used to contact you about this project. We will also ask for your postcode. This will be used to classify your address as rural or urban, and to look at how restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other food businesses nearby may relate to the information provided in your food diary. We will also ask if you would be willing to be contacted to complete an online or face-to-face interview with our team. This interview will include completing a short questionnaire and discussing your experience. AI based analysis software will be used to analyse information from the interviews after it has been anonymised. No AI will be used for analysing data from the questionnaires and food diaries. 

Time commitment 

The initial questionnaire should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete. Each food diary should also take around 10 minutes to complete (40 minutes total time). The questionnaire and interview will take about an hour.

Participant’s rights

If you decide to take part but later want to stop being part of the project, you can tell the research team at any time, without giving us a reason. If you contact us before the final report is published, which is likely to be in the summer of 2026, you can also ask us to remove any information you provided. Unless you indicate that you do not want to receive the results of the survey, by contacting us on the email address or phone number provided below, we will send the overall findings to you when the project has been completed.

Benefits and risks

There are no known benefits or risks for you from taking part in this project. If you decide not to take part, or to stop the project, any benefits and other services you are entitled to will not be affected. 

Cost, reimbursement and compensation

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. In return for your participation, you will receive a £5 voucher if you just complete the initial questionnaire. If you also complete three food diaries, you will receive a £20 voucher. If you complete the face-to-face interview, you will receive an additional £50 voucher. Please note that while you may express interest in taking part, this does not guarantee you will be selected for an interview. Only those who are interviewed will receive the additional £50 voucher.

Confidentiality / anonymity

All information collected during the research will be treated as confidential. Taylor McKenzie is responsible for collecting, securely storing, and ultimately destroying all identifiable data. Only fully anonymised data will be shared with the University of Edinburgh research team; no personally identifiable information will be transferred at any stage. The results of this survey may be included in reports or publications, but these will not contain any information that could identify you. The survey platform used complies with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For further information

If you would like more information before deciding whether you should take part, you can contact the principal investigator Professor Lindsay Jaacks (Lindsay.jaacks@ed.ac.uk or 0131 6506 586) or Taylor McKenzie (Intake24@taylormckenzie.co.uk or 0141 221 8030).

We are inviting you to take part in a survey to find out more about out of home eating in Scotland. About 1,000 adults across Scotland will take part in this survey. The project is funded by Food Standards Scotland and is being carried out by the University of Edinburgh and Taylor McKenzie, a research survey company based in Glasgow. The Human Ethical Review Committee (HERC) at the University of Edinburgh has reviewed and given a favourable opinion of this project (study number: HERC_2025_079).

What will happen if I decide to take part?

The survey agency, Taylor McKenzie, will ask you to complete a short questionnaire about you and your household. We would then like you to complete three food diaries over one week. We will ask for your email address and/or mobile phone number. These details will be held securely by Taylor McKenzie and will only be used to contact you about this project. We will also ask for your postcode. This will be used to classify your address as rural or urban, and to look at how restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other food businesses nearby may relate to the information provided in your food diary. We will also ask if you would be willing to be contacted to complete an online or face-to-face interview with our team. This interview will include completing a short questionnaire and discussing your experience. AI based analysis software will be used to analyse information from the interviews after it has been anonymised. No AI will be used for analysing data from the questionnaires and food diaries. 

Time commitment 

The initial questionnaire should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete. Each food diary should also take around 10 minutes to complete (40 minutes total time). The questionnaire and interview will take about an hour.

Participant’s rights

If you decide to take part but later want to stop being part of the project, you can tell the research team at any time, without giving us a reason. If you contact us before the final report is published, which is likely to be in the summer of 2026, you can also ask us to remove any information you provided. Unless you indicate that you do not want to receive the results of the survey, by contacting us on the email address or phone number provided below, we will send the overall findings to you when the project has been completed.

Benefits and risks

There are no known benefits or risks for you from taking part in this project. If you decide not to take part, or to stop the project, any benefits and other services you are entitled to will not be affected. 

Cost, reimbursement and compensation

Your participation in this survey is voluntary. In return for your participation, you will receive a £5 voucher if you just complete the initial questionnaire. If you also complete three food diaries, you will receive a £20 voucher. If you complete the face-to-face interview, you will receive an additional £50 voucher. Please note that while you may express interest in taking part, this does not guarantee you will be selected for an interview. Only those who are interviewed will receive the additional £50 voucher.

Confidentiality / anonymity

All information collected during the research will be treated as confidential. Taylor McKenzie is responsible for collecting, securely storing, and ultimately destroying all identifiable data. Only fully anonymised data will be shared with the University of Edinburgh research team; no personally identifiable information will be transferred at any stage. The results of this survey may be included in reports or publications, but these will not contain any information that could identify you. The survey platform used complies with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For further information

If you would like more information before deciding whether you should take part, you can contact the principal investigator Professor Lindsay Jaacks (Lindsay.jaacks@ed.ac.uk or 0131 6506 586) or Taylor McKenzie (Intake24@taylormckenzie.co.uk or 0141 221 8030).

We are inviting you to take part in an interview to find out more about out of home eating in Scotland. About 35 adults across Scotland will take part in an interview. The project is funded by Food Standards Scotland and is being carried out by the University of Edinburgh and Taylor McKenzie, a research survey company based in Glasgow. The Human Ethical Review Committee at the University of Edinburgh has reviewed and approved this project.

What will happen if I decide to take part?

We will ask to accompany you on a typical trip to an out of home outlet such as a takeaway or café. We would then like you to complete a brief interview. During the interview we will ask you questions about your experience during the visit to the outlet, and some general questions about your eating habits and any changes you would like to make. 

Time commitment 

We expect both the visit to the outlet and interview to take about 2 hours.

Participant’s rights

If you decide to take part but later want to stop being part of the project, you can tell the research team at any time, without giving us a reason. If you contact us before the final report is published, which is likely to be in the summer of 2026, you can also ask us to remove any information you provided. Unless you indicate that you do not want to receive the results of the survey, by contacting us on the email address or phone number provided below, we will send the overall findings to you when the project has been completed.

Benefits and risks

There are no known benefits or risks for you from taking part in this project. If you decide not to take part, or to stop the project, any benefits and other services you are entitled to will not be affected. 

Cost, reimbursement and compensation

Your participation in this interview is voluntary. In return for your participation, you will receive a £50 voucher. 

Confidentiality / anonymity

All information collected during the research will be treated as confidential. Taylor McKenzie is responsible for collecting, securely storing, and ultimately destroying all identifiable data. Only fully anonymised data will be shared with the University of Edinburgh research team; no personally identifiable information will be transferred at any stage. The results of this survey may be included in reports or publications, but these will not contain any information that could identify you. The survey platform used complies with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For further information

If you would like more information before deciding whether you should take part, you can contact the principal investigator Professor Lindsay Jaacks (Lindsay.jaacks@ed.ac.uk or 0131 6506 586) or Taylor McKenzie (Intake24@taylormckenzie.co.uk or 0141 221 8030).

Introductions

Thank you for joining us today. Our research team really appreciates the time you have taken to be here. My name is [insert] and I am from Taylor McKenzie. This interview is part of a research we are conducting for Food Standards Scotland along with the University of Edinburgh on understanding your views about eating out of home. If you agree to participate in this interview, I will ask a series of questions, and I encourage you to contribute your thoughts and insights. This discussion will take around one hour to complete. The interview will be recorded but all personal details will be kept private and confidential. 

Key thing is we need you to be honest please, about your views and your behaviour, this is a safe space, everything you say will be confidential. 

As you know the research will be used to explore the types of food people eat and why when they are out and about, or when they use delivery apps. This can be a coffee on the way to work, buying a sandwich for lunch, or ordering a takeaway to eat at home.

At the end of our research, we will compile our findings in a report for Food Standards Scotland summarising the findings based on data from about 35 participants. The report will ensure that neither Food Standards Scotland nor any readers can discern individual identities. We may include quotes in the report, but they will be anonymous. No identifying information about you such as your name will be seen by anyone outside of the research team at Taylor McKenzie and the University of Edinburgh. 

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or concerns.   

Do you agree to participate in this research study? 

Warm-Up & Scene Setting: Exploration of the Diary Task Experience

•         Recall & Context

•         Decision Drivers

•         Details of the Experience

•         Purchase Method & Access Preferences

Emotions & Attitudes Across the Journey (using pre task as basis)

(Looking at before, during, and after the OOH experience)

•         How did you feel about it before you made the purchase?

•         What about during the eating experience itself?

•         And afterwards – were you satisfied, regretful, pleased?

Patterns, Perceptions & Contextual Influences

•         How do you plan what to eat? (Looking at whether they plan ahead, how far ahead i.e. weekly or daily, how not having meals planned contributes to instinct to grab something on the go) 

•         How does OOH fit into your wider eating habits?

•         What are your thoughts on cooking? How does cooking fit into your wider eating habits?

•         Perceived healthiness vs indulgence for OOH vs cooking

•         What makes a meal feel “worth it” to them?

•         Are there any concerns (cost of living, health, food safety, nutrition, sustainability)?

•         External influences: ads, offers, peers, family needs, neighbourhood environment (takeaways close by)?

Reflections and Future Behaviour

•         Thinking about your food choices over the last few weeks — have they changed at all?

•         Are you trying to change how you eat out or order in?

•         What would make it easier to make the choices you want to make?

Thank and close

Table 17. Mean percentage of energy and macronutrients sourced from household grocery shopping versus out of home outlets among adults 16+ years living in Scotland, 2025, excluding 22 non-consumers of out of home food and drink (n=990).