According to Potato Council’s latest report on Foodservice Markets (published in January), during the period Oct 2012 to Sept 2013 British consumers bought fewer items when eating out and they also ate out slightly less than last year. Over the year, Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) posted an uplift in total spend, driven by higher prices per item. However, visits remained in line with last year; growth in traffic will be required for longer‐term success. There were 1.72 billion potato servings Out of Home (OOH) in the year ending September 2013. This was down 7.5% compared to the previous year; this decline is faster than the total food servings decline. Chips [fries], which account for the majority of potato servings, have recorded a similar fall of 7.5% over the year, a decline which has accelerated to 11.1% in the latest quarter. Potato wedges account for 3.3% of all potato servings and servings have increased 6.4% over the year, being the small bright spot for potatoes. Jacket potatoes have seen a fall in servings over the year, down 8.3%. Mashed potato servings have also dipped over the year. Follow this link to read the full report.