Remembered eating experiences described by the self, place, food, context and time

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore remembered positive eating and food experiences, aiming to gain an understanding of the nature of these past experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

Positive food‐related experiences were gathered through focus group interviews. These experiences were inductively categorised into recurring themes and dimensions within the themes.

Findings

An analysis of the qualitative data led to the recognition of several themes involving eating that were related to childhood memories, eating related to tourist experiences, as well as memories of commensal eating and homemade food. The experiences were drawn together into dimensions to provide deeper comprehension of the observed themes. As a result, the study suggests that remembered eating and food experiences are characterised by the self, place, food, context and time.

Practical implications

The study provides knowledge on what constitutes memorable positive and pleasurable food‐related experiences, which the consumer may even want to relive. Hence, the study helps managers understand the significance of providing food‐related experiences that become memorable.

Originality/value

The context was not predetermined to a particular eating setting, which resulted in a multidimensional framework of remembered experiences with several implications. The approach provided new insights into understanding the effects of positive and pleasurable food‐related experiences.

Citation

Kauppinen‐Räisänen, H., Gummerus, J. and Lehtola, K. (2013), "Remembered eating experiences described by the self, place, food, context and time", British Food Journal, Vol. 115 No. 5, pp. 666-685. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070701311331571