Donald Sloan

The broad purpose of this text is to examine the construction of culinary taste, and associated consumer behaviour, as displayed in the international restaurant sector. It is often noted that sociological commentary on food and eating is dominated by studies relating to domestic settings. The recent emergence of more literature which examines aspects of dining out has begun to redress this imbalance (see e.g. Finkelstein, 1989; Warde, 1997; Gronow, 1997; Beardsworth and Keil, 1997; Warde and Martens, 2000; Wood, 2000). This text adds to this growing body of knowledge.

Discussions about the construction of taste, and culinary taste in particular, are undoubtedly fascinating in their own right. However, it is important not to overlook the potential practical benefits of extending our knowledge in this area. Business texts often assert the importance of restaurateurs meeting customer needs and wants, yet few tackle the complex question of what actually influences customer choices. Where this question is addressed it is often done so in a rather formulaic manner which encompasses consideration of issues such as price versus quality.

The first two chapters provide an introduction to alternative theoretical perspectives on the construction of culinary taste. Subsequent chapters, the content of which is more explicitly applied to consumer behaviour in the international restaurant sector, examine specific aspects of influence on culinary taste.

The initial discussion, which centres on the contribution of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, examines the proposal that our taste is socially constructed; specifically the extent to which our position in...