IELTS Writing Task 2: The Spread of the Same Food Brands Worldwide

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Writing Prompt

The same international restaurant chains and food brands can now be found in almost every country, and people in very different places increasingly eat the same meals.

Is this a positive or negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Show Band 8–9 model answer

The global spread of identical restaurant chains and food brands is one of the most visible signs of globalisation. In my view, this trend is largely negative because it undermines local food cultures and damages public health, even though it offers some economic and practical benefits.

On the positive side, international food chains can bring a degree of convenience, predictability and economic growth. For travellers, being able to find a familiar brand in a foreign country can reduce anxiety and provide a quick, reliable meal. Moreover, these chains often create thousands of jobs, from low-skilled service positions to managerial roles, and they may introduce modern standards of hygiene and food safety that smaller local outlets cannot always match. In some developing regions, international brands can also stimulate related industries such as agriculture, logistics and marketing.

Despite these advantages, the drawbacks are more significant. First, the dominance of global brands tends to marginalise traditional eateries and small family-owned restaurants, causing a gradual erosion of culinary diversity. When a shopping street in Mexico City, Paris and Bangkok all offer the same burgers, fried chicken and coffee, unique local dishes risk becoming niche or disappearing altogether. This loss is cultural as well as economic, since recipes and food rituals are part of a community’s identity and history.

Furthermore, many international chains promote highly processed, calorie-dense foods that contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Countries that previously had relatively healthy, plant-based diets have seen rapid increases in lifestyle-related illnesses as Western-style fast food becomes popular, particularly among young people. This burden on public health systems may outweigh any short-term economic gains.

In conclusion, while global food brands can create employment and convenience, their impact on cultural diversity and public health is predominantly harmful. Overall, this is a negative development and governments should protect and promote local cuisines through education, regulation and targeted support for traditional businesses.

Why this response works

This response addresses the question directly with a clear position that it is “largely negative” and maintains this stance consistently. The introduction and conclusion are well aligned, and each body paragraph presents a distinct, well-developed idea with relevant examples (travellers’ convenience, job creation, loss of culinary diversity, rise in lifestyle diseases). Cohesion is strong, with logical progression and effective use of linking devices. Vocabulary is varied and precise (e.g. “culinary diversity”, “calorie-dense”, “marginalise”), and grammar is accurate with a range of complex structures, supporting a high band score across all criteria.