You may see a takeaway as an indulgent thing; something you do when you’re craving sugar, fat and salt-laden treats.
According to Deliveroo’s ‘100 Report’, however, we lean towards much healthier options when ordering food to our homes.
The annual researched looked at the top 100 trending dishes from around the world, as well as those here in the UK.
Globally, pork belly and cuttlefish ball noodle soup from Hong Kong’s TamJai Yunnan Mixian took the crown, followed by linguine carbonara from Livio Piu in Paris.
Here, though, the most-ordered meal was the build your own poké bowl from London’s Poké Shack, with Atis’s build your own salad bowl and the burrito from FreshMex in Aberdeen nabbing silver and bronze.
The trend for DIY dishes was clear, as Tortilla’s build your own burrito was in fourth place, while fifth was – somewhat surprisingly – a bunch of small Fairtrade bananas from Waitrose.
Favourites like Wingstop wings, Dishoom’s chicken ruby and Five Guys’ cheeseburger also made the top 10, along with Shake Shack, Wagamama and Popeyes in the final 30.
Deliveroo noted that a third of the winning orders featured chicken, a particular choice for Londoners at lunchtime, but the country as a whole moved away from staples like sandwiches and towards more adventurous food.
In fact, research found that 71% of Brits have tried a new dish or cuisine in the last 12 months, and over half (52%) have tried more than three.
Another trend seen in the report was increased demand for rapid grocery delivery, as 150% more of these items made the list compared to last year, such as bananas from Waitrose, flowers from Wholefoods, milk from Morrisons and paracetemol from Boots.
The UK's top trending dishes on Deliveroo for 2023
- Build Your Own Poké Bowl from Poké Shack, London
- Build Your Own Bowl from atis, London
- Burrito from FreshMex, Aberdeen
- Build Your Own Burrito from Tortilla, London
- Small Fairtrade Bananas 7 per pack from Waitrose
- 8 Pieces Boneless from Wingstop London
- Chicken Ruby from Dishoom, London
- Harissa Chicken from Farmer J, London
- Gochujang Chicken Bibimbap Bowl from Grounded Kitchen, Birmingham
- Cheeseburger from Five Guys, London
- Choose Any 2 Meats with Rice from Three Uncles, London
- Pad Thai from Ting Thai, Edinburgh
- Burrito Bowl from Boojum, Belfast
- ShackBurger from Shake Shack, London
- Cheeseburger from Bleecker, London
- Jerk Chicken and Chips from White Men Can’t Jerk, London
- Popeyes SPICY! Deluxe Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes, London
- Semi Skimmed Milk from Morrisons, Birmingham
- Cultured Lemon Thyme Chicken Fillet Bowl from Eat Activ, London
- Wholefoods Flowers from Wholefoods, London
- Margherita from VIP Very Italian Pizza, Brighton
- Paracetamol from Boots, Edinburgh
- Burgerism Meal from Burgerism, Manchester
- Dirty Double Burger (Double Patty) from Oowee Diner, Bristol
- Chicken Katsu Curry from Wagamama, London
- Walkers Sensations from Co-op, Manchester
- Southern Fried Chicken Wrap from Chicken & Blues, Bournemouth
- Honey Ginger Buffalo Burger from Coqfighter, London
- Sweet Chilli Chicken from KOKORO, London
- Pad Thai Bo Ran from Zaap Thai, Leeds
Fries remain the most popular side dish throughout the UK, while ketchup, garlic mayo and chilli sauce were voted most popular condiments.
Deliveroo’s riders have travelled the equivalent of 674 trips from Earth to the moon and back, delivering from over 60,000 restaurants and 8,000 grocery partners in the UK and Ireland.
And with lots of orders, come some interesting customer requests, the most trending ones being for chicken-based orders and including ‘all flat wings’, ‘thighs and legs only’, ‘chicken well done’. ‘no legs’ and ‘burn the chicken.’
Others requested no tomatoes, onions, mushrooms or pickles, but ‘extra spicy’ was also a common request.
Deliveroo Vice President of Regional Growth, Jeff Wemyss, commented: “From bananas to burritos, poké to pizza, it’s always fun revealing our annual list of 100 trending dishes across the globe.
‘Recent research shows us that people in the UK are becoming more adventurous with their food choices… which is evident from the variety in both the global and UK lists. We’re delighted to see customers sampling – and enjoying – the wealth of food on their doorsteps.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : Cadbury reveals new chocolate bar finally launching in the UK — and fans are already ‘obsessed’
MORE : Europe’s best value Christmas market has been crowned where mulled wine is just £3.50
Sign up to our guide to what’s on in London, trusted reviews, brilliant offers and competitions. London’s best bits in your inbox