EATERIES SUFFERING A BIRYANI BACKLASH; Restaurants feel squeeze.

CURRY houses and Chinese restaurants are facing a crisis as people cut back on takeaways and eating out to save money.

The biryani backlash is revealed in a survey of dining habits by internet search engine Ask Jeeves.

According to the study, 52 per cent say they are eating fewer takeaways and 45 per cent are eating more meals at home.

Around a third of those who do eat at home are downloading free recipes from online sites rather than spending money on the latest expensive books from TV chefs.

Ingredients are taking a battering, too, with more than half of the 1000 adults surveyed admitting to switching from their usual supermarket to a less expensive one.

More than half are also buying more own-brand groceries than they used to.

Even before the Budget rise in alcohol duty, 22 per cent said they were buying cheaper bottles of wine.

The most popular money-saving method of all is using discount vouchers, which 77 per cent of people now take advantage of.

The results of the research were welcomed by popular parenting and family website Mumsnet.

A spokeswoman said: "Mothers hold the purse-strings to the weekly shop, so are more aware than anyone else in the family about how to make the money go further."

CAPTION(S):

STRUGGLING: Curry houses