Takeaways contribute £364 million to the Yorkshire economy, new research reveals

The report, by the British Takeaway Campaign, also revealed people in the region spent £853 million on takeaways last year.

Pizzas were the takeaway of choice, followed by Indian and Chinese, with each household spending an average of £6.91 a week on takeaways, 13 per cent of their regular food spend.

Nationally, takeaways contributed £4.5 billion in 2016, rising to £9.4 billion when factoring in the supply chain and employee spending, making takeaways a bigger industry than tourism and air travel.

However, the campaign is calling on the government to offer extra support to the industry, through changes to business rates, the immigration system to allow more specialist chefs to work in takeaways, and by funding specialist training to address skills shortages.

Ibrahim Dogus, chairman of the British Takeaway Campaign, said: “The takeaway industry has transformed the high street and the British palate – from fish and chips to the latest fusion food.

“The thousands of takeaways across Yorkshire and the Humber make a huge contribution to the region’s jobs and growth.

“But many are being hamstrung by skills shortages, rising food and wage costs, and business rates.

"We want to get more young British people fired up about working in this exciting industry by ensuring they get the right training and skills to help this thriving industry continue to grow.”

Graham Corfield, managing director at Just Eat, which co-founded the BTC, added: "Everyone loves their local takeaway, but few would realise that these small, often family-run businesses, are behind so much of the UK’s growth and jobs.

“The choice and variety on offer is unparalleled. British consumers are now increasingly enjoying North African and Middle Eastern takeaways – with orders for Syrian food increasing ten-fold since 2014.

"That’s alongside firm favourites like Italian, Chinese and Indian and all at the touch of a button.”