If there were any truth to the old maxim that ‘you are what you eat’, the typical Maltese person would definitely be a pizza. James Debono on our national eating habits
While one tenth of the population eats out in a restaurant more than once a week, one fourth does so less than once a month, and another fourth again never eats out at all.
However, almost three quarters of the Maltese eat out in a restaurant at least once a year: a figure confirmed by surveys conducted by both MaltaToday and the National Office of Statistics.
While the MaltaToday survey estimates the number of those frequenting restaurants at least once a year at 73.3%, the NSO life style survey puts the figure at 71%.
Moreover, nearly half the Maltese go to eat in a pizzeria at least once a month – making pizzerias one of the most popular leisure places on the island.
But the MaltaToday survey also indicates that higher income groups visit restaurants more frequently than working class respondents: confirming the widespread notion that different social classes live very different lifestyles.
While 85% of professionals and managers eat out more than once a month, only 46.3% of unskilled workers do the same. The self-employed are also hard pressed, with 49% claiming that they eat out less than once a month.
Significantly, 15% of ABs and 19% of C1s eat out more than once a week: which indicates that for a vast sector of society, restaurants are not a luxury but provide a much needed service for people who lack the time to cook in their homes every day.
This could be especially true among single people and families in which both spouses work. For tis reason, prices in restaurants do not only have a bearing on tourism but also on the cost of living in Malta itself.
A survey held in 1996 by the Planning Authority also shows that locals outspend tourists, and are thus indispensable to this thriving trade.
But despite these sociological realities, most Maltese restaurants remain oriented towards tourists, and apart from cheap snack bars offering high calorie fare for male manual workers, few restaurants offer cheap food which is also appealing to a middle class crowd.
Not surprisingly, professionals and managers are also more likely to frequent a greater variety of international cuisines and types of restaurants.
A quarter of ABs has been to a Chinese restaurant during the past month, while one fifth has indulged in a buffet in a hotel.
Chinese restaurants emerge as the most popular international cuisine.
Restaurants serving Maltese food are more popular overall than restaurants serving Chinese fare. But this is not the case among Abs, who are more likely to frequent Chinese restaurants than restaurants serving local fare.
This category is also three times as likely to eat in an Indian restaurant than the general population.
While one tenth of the general population have attended a hotel buffet in the previous month, one fifth of ABs have done likewise.
Overall the most popular type of restaurant remains the pizzeria. While only 2.1% have eaten sushi in a Japanese restaurant, 45% visit a pizzeria at least once a month.
The NSO survey showed that restaurants are the most frequented places by the adult population, while casinos are the least.
Moreover, attendance to restaurants was found to be very similar for males and females.
Price matters
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices issued by the NSO in May showed that the hotel industry had increased its prices by 11.7 points. Statistics collected by the Ministry of Finance in July have also revealed that increases in prices by hotels and restaurants during June have impacted the general rate of inflation by 18.64%.
The report – prepared by Permanent Secretary Alfred Camilleri – was presented to all MCESD partners recently, and also to the PL national conference on inflation.
The registered 18.64% increase in prices by hotels and restaurants, has impacted the general rate of 4.7%, making Malta the highest amongst the Eurozone countries, the government claims.
But the Malta Hotels and Restuarants’ Association has disputed these statistics, claiming that restaurant prices have actually remained stable for the past six months.
Figures on price level indices published by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical arm, in April showed Maltese consumers pay less than fellow Europeans when eating at a restaurant. Restaurant and hotel prices were given an index of 84 against an EU average of 100.
For restaurants and hotels, price variations were more significant, with price levels ranging from 40% of the average in Bulgaria, to 151% of the average in Denmark.
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