Key Audience & Regional Insights: Food Behaviour in Ireland Survey by The Galway Kitchen March 2026
1. Gen Z are the takeaway generation — 37.4% of 18–24s say takeaway is the main event when feeding friends at home, versus 25.0% overall.
2. Under-25s are also the most likely to spend their €12 on takeaway — When asked how they'd use €12 for a Friday-night treat for two, 43.0% of 18–24s chose a takeaway deal, compared with 34.6% overall.
3. Younger adults are the most Barry Keoghan style eaters — 31.8% of 18–24s identify with the Barry Keoghan food personality, well ahead of the 21.5% national average.
4. Paul Mescal also over-indexes with younger adults — 29.0% of 18–24s picked Paul Mescal, versus 19.8% overall. Taken together, the under-25 market skews towards speed, spontaneity and global-flavour energy rather than 'classic' food behaviour.
Gen Z & the Sharing Board:
Crisps, Fruit & Sausage Rolls
67.3%
Crisps Must-Have
18–24s say crisps are a must-have on an Irish sharing board trio, against 56.1% overall.
31.8%
Fruit on the Board
18–24s want fruit on the sharing board, versus 22.2% overall — a 'sweet-meets-savoury' remix angle.
40.2%
Sausage Roll Dippers
18–24s say they've dipped sausage rolls in the last month, compared with 28.1% overall.
5. Gen Z are crisps-first sharers — 67.3% of 18–24s say crisps are a must-have on an Irish sharing board trio, against 56.1% overall.
6. The under-25 crowd are surprisingly big on fruit too — A more unexpected one: 31.8% of 18–24s want fruit on the sharing board, versus 22.2% overall.
7. Sausage rolls are a genuine youth pairing trend — 40.2% of 18–24s say they've dipped sausage rolls in the last month, compared with 28.1% overall.
35–44s: The Crackers Generation, Premium Buyers & Proper Board Builders
The Crackers Generation
58.7% of 35–44s say houmous most often sits on crackers, versus 48.7% overall. That is one of the clearest product-serving truths in the study.
Most Premium on Irish-Made
19.2% of 35–44s would pay more than €1 extra for Irish-made dips/spreads, compared with 13.0% overall.
Driving the 'Proper Board' Trend
28.8% of 35–44s say charcuterie is a must-have on an Irish sharing board, versus 23.0% overall. They also over-index on dips and spreads at 57.2%, versus 53.4% overall.
11. 35–44s are the crackers generation — 58.7% of 35–44s say houmous most often sits on crackers, versus 48.7% overall.
12. 35–44s are also the most premium on Irish-made — 19.2% of 35–44s would pay more than €1 extra for Irish-made dips/spreads, compared with 13.0% overall.
13. The same 35–44s group are driving the 'proper board' trend — 28.8% of 35–44s say charcuterie is a must-have on an Irish sharing board, versus 23.0% overall. They also over-index on dips and spreads at 57.2%, versus 53.4% overall.
Middle-Aged Ireland:
Classic, Sceptical & Traditional
8. Middle-aged Ireland is keeping it classic — 29.3% of 45–54s identify with Jessie Buckley's 'classic, authentic' pairing personality, versus 24.1% overall. The older end of the sample is clearly less chaos, more tradition.
9. And many 45–54s reject the celebrity framing altogether — 34.8% of 45–54s chose 'none of these' for pairing personality, against 25.6% overall.
10. 45–54s are the most sceptical about paying extra for Irish-made — Only 54.0% of 45–54s would pay any premium for Irish-made dips/spreads, versus 64.5% overall. Also, 28.3% of 45–54s say 'no', compared with 22.4% overall.
Regional Flavours: Munster's Loyalty & Connacht's Classic Palate
Munster: Cracker-Loyal & Least Trendy
14. Munster looks the most cracker-loyal and least trendy — 56.5% of Munster respondents say houmous most often sits on crackers, compared with 48.7% overall.
15. Connacht is the most 'classic Irish palate' region in the study — 35.9% of Connacht respondents identify with Jessie Buckley's 'classic, authentic' pairing personality, far above the 24.1% national average. Connacht also has the highest share willing to pay up to €1 extra for Irish-made dips/spreads at 37.2%, versus 27.4% overall.
