Can it really be possible? Has ‘fish and chips’, the traditional king of the UK takeaway industry, been ousted by other choices? Once the stalwart of takeaway choice in this country, we are now informed that no longer does it rule the roost. Below is a list of interesting facts and figures to support this:

The traditional English takeaway is now more popular in Dublin than anywhere in the UK. It may have something to do with the larger population of Chinese people in England than is known to exist in Ireland. Everyone knows that a large number of Chip shops were snapped up by Chinese people, who have bought there own style to the industry.

·Indian food rules, except in London and the North West, where Chinese food is king. The reason why this is the case is fairly easy to appreciate, if you consider the demographic makeup of particular communities. The largest of the Indian communities are based on the other side of the Pennines, in the North East.

· 3 out of 5 takeaways meals bought in this country are either Chinese or Indian food.

More than 1,200 people were quizzed for the website Just-Eat.co.uk. They found the average annual takeaway bill is £550, which equates to about £45 per person per month. This is the figure that I personally find astounding, especially during times of economic depression. I thought that during a recession, people would look to save their money and make an effort in the comfort of their own homes. When you think about it, just how difficult is it to prepare something from home? Apparently, a large number of people find the kitchen anathema due to the depressing lack of light at this time of the year!

Sales more than double after the clocks go back in October. There could be a number of reasons why this is so, but possibly the obvious one is the cooling of the temperature. When the weather becomes much chillier, people are less likely to go out to eat, or shop in the super market for their meals.