Brits showing more interest in food to go, says Waitrose data

Brits are showing more interest in ‘food to go’ style meals as sale of such containers are on the rise, shows recent data from a supermarket, as shoppers continue to cut costs during the winter period.

According to recent data from Waitrose and its parent company John Lewis, the UK is turning to DIY lunches in a bid to make money go further amid the cost-of-living crisis. Searches for ‘lunchboxes’ has surged by 17 per cent in the past week alone, while shoppers move towards hot ‘food to go’ meal options amid the winter months, stated the supermarket.

Soups have become increasingly popular among customers for lunchtime meal options with searches for ‘Sweet Potato & Chickpea Soup’ soaring by 186 per cent and ‘Simple Vegetable Soup’ up 49 per cent.

Looking to keep food warm throughout the day, sales of food flasks at John Lewis have increased by 22 per cent compared to the same time in 2021. The upmarket retailers research also found a rise in popularity for travel mugs, up 7 per cent since the same period last year.

“As cost of living concerns continue, our customers are clearly looking for ways to economise and DIY lunches are clearly growing in popularity,” John Lewis cookshop merchandiser, Pamela Pergolesi said.

Waitrose’s data comes days after a market report stated that multiples are the clear winner in UK’s food-to-go. This aligns with consumers’ continued search for value, with the need for ‘something not too expensive’ continuing to rise strongly.

In the last 12 weeks, multiples, with their more affordable food-to-go offer, showed a steady and significant growth (+24 per cent in the latest 12 weeks). Other retail channels – convenience stores (+7 per cent), discounters (+6 per cent) and forecourts (+9 per cent) are also all outperforming the total market.