Is is it for real? Has ‘fish and chips’, the traditional king of the UK takeaway industry, been ousted by other choices? Once the number one choice in the UK, it seems clear that it is no longer the top takeaway dog. 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. Most people know that chip shops have become the attraction for the Chinese, who sprinkle a little of their own culture into the business.

Indian food rules, except in London and the North West, where Chinese food is king. This again is fairly easy to understand, considering the demographics of these particular cultures. The biggest of the Indian communities are found in the North East, on the other side of the Pennines.

· 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 would have thought that people would be looking to save that money and organise there own catering from home. I mean, how difficult is it to cook something in your own kitchen? Apparently, the kitchen is not the place to be for most people at this time of the year, which has something to do with the depressing lack of light!

Sales more than double after the clocks go back in October. Possibly there are a number of reasons why it is like this, with the cold weather being the obvious culprit. When the weather becomes much chillier, people are less likely to go out to eat, or shop in the super market for their meals.