Food delivery services are mainly used as a treat in Britain, but high fees frustrate many

Key findings:

• Britons are most likely to use food delivery services as a special treat, with 31% citing this as a reason for ordering in.
• High service fees are the top frustration, mentioned by 40% of British adults.
• Younger Britons are especially price-conscious, with 54% of Gen Z saying service fees are too high.

Food delivery apps are a familiar part of life in Great Britain, with platforms like Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat part of the country’s dining habits. From rapid grocery delivery to celebrity-branded menu launches, the sector continues to evolve as companies compete for Britain’s attention (and appetite).

But what drives Britons to use food delivery apps, and what do they most dislike about them? YouGov Profiles data, a 52-week data set based on weekly answers from a British nat rep, provides the answers. 

Britons mainly use food delivery services as a treat

The most common reason Britons use food delivery services is “as a special treat,” selected by 31% of British adults. Close behind, 29% say they order food because they “don’t feel like cooking”.

Far fewer cite more practical reasons. Around one in ten say they use delivery services because there is no food available at home (11%) or because they are working late or long hours (10%).

Only small shares say they order food because the weather is too bad to go out (6%), because it gives them more time with family (6%) or because it allows them to do chores at home (5%).

High service fees are Britons’ biggest frustration with food delivery services

Despite the popularity of food delivery services, many Britons have clear frustrations with the experience, and costs stand out most strongly.

Four in ten British adults (40%) say service fees are too high, making this the leading complaint by a considerable margin. Nearly three in ten (29%) say menu items cost more on delivery apps or services than when ordering in store.

Beyond pricing, Britons also express frustrations with the quality and reliability of deliveries. Around a third say food quality suffers during delivery (32%), while 30% say food takes too long to arrive. More than a quarter (26%) report receiving incorrect orders.

Relatively fewer Britons point to issues such as limited restaurant choice (14%), poor customer service (12%) or having to tip drivers (10%).

Younger Britons are more likely to be frustrated by costs

The data highlights notable generational differences in attitudes towards food delivery services.

More than half of Gen Z (54%) say they dislike that service fees are too high, compared with 23% of Baby Boomers. Gen Z are also much more likely to say they dislike that menu items cost more on delivery apps (42% versus 16% among Baby Boomers).

Younger Britons are additionally more likely to indicate operational frustrations, including incorrect orders and long delivery times. Around a third of Millennials say they dislike both issues.

Older generations appear less dissatisfied overall. Nearly four in ten Baby Boomers (39%) say none of the listed frustrations apply to them, rising to 49% among the Silent Generation.

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between May 2025 and May 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Great Britain and weighted by age, gender, region, education, and social grade.

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