The world of dine-in or dine-out is changing. For consumers, it is no longer about deciding whether to go to a restaurant or eat at home.
Until now, the alternatives to dining out were limited to cooking a meal or ordering a takeaway. With restaurants facing record-breaking declines in bookings, a new space has opened which blends the best of both restaurant and home dining. The Italians would call it ‘La Terza Via’ – the third way.
Premium food brands and supermarkets are waking up to the fact that British dining in/out habits are changing and they need to embrace this shift, with elevated ranges that allow shoppers to enjoy restaurant-style dining in the comfort of their own homes.
This movement reflects broader cultural changes: research shows that consumers are increasingly seeking ways to make ordinary evenings feel special, whether for anniversaries, date nights, or intimate dinner parties. No longer is it an option for many to consider an evening spent in a restaurant as the only way to celebrate an occasion. Economic considerations increasingly count this out, as such an evening will involve not just the cost of dinner and drinks but a minimum 20% service charge on top. Plus, their outing may also incur travel and, if driving, fuel, parking, and possible congestion fees, and for parents, baby-sitting expenses.
It is, therefore, no surprise that for ABC1 consumers, there is growing demand for quality food offerings that deliver flavour and experience on par with restaurants, but without requiring exceptional culinary skills or complicated/time-consuming preparation.
The shift is clear: in 2024, restaurant spending in the UK fell by 6.7% as consumers cut back on dining out amid rising costs. While this trend challenges the hospitality sector, it has also created new opportunities for premium food brands to satisfy consumers who crave special meals.
At the same time, home dining is experiencing a renaissance. According to Kantar, nearly 70% of UK households report hosting more “occasion-led” meals at home compared to pre-pandemic levels, with supermarket premium ranges such as Tesco Finest and M&S Collection seeing double-digit growth in sales.
How Crosta Mollica is responding
Stepping into this emerging category is Crosta Mollica, the Italian premium chilled and frozen pizza brand, which has just launched Collezione Romana, at a price point of £8.50 which is 30% up on its core offering. The range is designed to deliver restaurant-quality authenticity at home – redefining the humble pizza into an indulgent meal with luxury Italian toppings.
Each pizza in the range is crafted in Italy, where the dough is still hand-stretched and slow-fermented and delivers the unique ‘leopardisation’ effect on the crust that can only be achieved when traditionally stone-baked.
The regional Italian toppings include mozzarella di bufala, Pomodorini Gialli tomatoes, summer truffles, fungi alla griglia and salsiccia speziata (spicy sausage). The result is a dining experience that rivals the very best of a high-end pizzeria yet can be enjoyed straight from the oven at home.
For many, the act of setting the table, lighting candles, and opening a bottle of wine has become an accessible alternative to booking a table in a restaurant. What was once a fallback option is now a conscious choice.
The rise of tablescaping
Families are investing in better glassware, upgrading kitchen appliances, and experimenting with plating techniques to bring a sense of occasion to the everyday meal.
Social media has further fuelled this trend: Instagram and TikTok are filled with ‘tablescaping’ inspiration, home wine pairings, and gourmet cooking hacks, creating a sense of community around the idea that staying in can be just as stylish as going out.
Meanwhile, restaurants continue to feel the strain. OpenTable data shows that UK restaurant reservations in 2024 were down almost 10% year-on-year, with mid-market casual dining chains hit hardest. Rising staff wages, energy bills, and food inflation have driven menu prices up by more than 13% in the last three years, further deterring consumers from dining out regularly.
What we are witnessing is not a collapse of dining culture, but its transformation. Consumers are not abandoning indulgence, they are redefining it. They want to recreate restaurant experiences on their own terms: freedom from queues, flexibility in timing, and the ability to enjoy a carefully curated menu without paying restaurant mark-ups.
Even high-end chefs are recognising this shift, with many offering meal kits, frozen ranges, or branded collaborations with supermarkets. The lines between ‘restaurant food’ and ‘home food’ are blurring faster than ever before.
The equation is simple: consumers are still hungry for indulgence, but they want value, control, and comfort. Dining at home provides exactly that. It removes the uncertainties of service, noise, and availability while allowing people to enjoy high-quality ingredients and restaurant-style experiences at a fraction of the cost. Crucially, it also creates an intimacy that dining out cannot always match – a space where friends and family can linger without time limits or hidden extras on the bill.
As special-occasion dining continues to grow, the demand for La Terza Via is indicative of the distance food brands have come to the extent that they can compete with restaurant-quality food. It signals a dining evolution with consumers no longer seduced by the argument that special-occasion dining only happens in restaurants. Instead, they are embracing a new model where the boundaries between dining in and dining out dissolve into a flexible middle ground.
La Terza Via is not a passing fad, it represents a cultural and economic response to the realities of modern living. As food innovation accelerates, from artisanal ready meals to gourmet frozen pizzas, this ‘third way’ will only gain strength. For restaurants, retailers, and consumers alike, it is reshaping what it means to eat well in Britain today.
David Milner is the executive chairman at Crosta Mollica.
