England eats out : a social history of eating out in England from 1830 to the present
"Eating out is a major social activity in England and makes up about a third of what we spend on food. This is a quite recent change. In the past people ate away from home mainly from necessity, refuelling their bodies for work; men bought from street-sellers and cookshops or ate and drank in pubs or clubs. Eating out for pleasure was mainly restricted to the wealthier classes when travelling or on holiday, and women did not normally eat in public places. It was only after World War Two that eating out became common to all classes - men, women and young people - as a result of rising standards of living, the growth of leisure, and the emergence of new types of catering with wide popular appeal."
Print Book, English, 2004
Pearson/Longman, Harlow, England, 2004