Millions of us now consider traditional kitchen basics like meat, cheese and fresh fruit to be luxury items. With households across the country continuing to feel the pinch, one in four (24%) Brits now feel meat is a luxury, alongside cheese (15%) and fresh fruit (13%), according to new research by Gousto, the recipe box.
And one in five (21%) say using the oven has become a luxury, with twice as many (39%) admitting they now consider using it less to save money - while Gousto says it has witnessed oven-free recipes soar in popularity this year, with a 47% increase in uptake.
Jordan Moore, Senior Innovation Manager at Gousto, said: “Many basics that have been on dining tables all our lives like meat, cheese and fresh fruit are now considered a luxury by millions. We’re expecting to see huge growth in oven-less meals next year solely based on energy, as consumers consider both the cost of energy and the cost of living.”
The Gousto ‘oven-less’ Sunday Roast launched in October became its second most popular recipe, with 71% more customers adding it to their basket against the usual Sunday Roast recipe.
Brits are also saving money by moving away from takeaways - prompting a rise in home-made ‘fakeaways’, with two in three (67%) homecooks saying they have recreated favourite takeaways at home to keep costs down.
The most popular fakeaway is pizza, named by two thirds (65%), followed by Chinese (55%), fish and chips (50%), and Indian (49%). At the same time, Gousto has seen a rise in customers choosing recipes from its own fakeaway range, up 8% from last year.
The research, which looked into the changing food habits of the nation’s homecooks, also reveals:
- Cooking to keep warm is on the rise: Brits are eating more soups, named by 37%, stews (24%) and casseroles (20%) to stay warm, rather than turning up the heating
- After a year of rising food instability, Brits feel most frustrated by long queues (52%) and empty shelves (47%) when doing the weekly food shop
- 62% are considering cutting down on eating out next year
As champions of choice, flavour and variety Gousto is committed to making mealtimes a source of joy and excitement, even in economically tough times, and is launching its new value Save & Savour collection in January - offering a range of simple and low-cost recipes, delivering all the flavour Gousto customers love, with a lower price tag.
Gousto says it has seen a rise in the number of traditional, hearty meals chosen weekly by customers from its Everyday Favourites Range - including Extra Special Bangers ‘N’ Mash, Comforting Cottage Pie and Feel Good Fish ‘N’ Chips.
Most notable has been a rise in comfort food recipes in November – at the same time as the Autumn Statement – with an additional increase in comfort food recipes on plates, up 10% from two years ago, signalling homecooks in Britain are seeking comfort food more so now than during the height of the pandemic.
Jordan Moore, Senior Innovation Manager at Gousto, added: “The nation is turning to classic comfort foods that warm our bellies and hearts in equal measure. This year has seen nostalgic foods trending and we expect to see an increase in affordable ‘retro’ ingredients such as spam and instant mash in 2023.
“Italian food is also tipped to be huge next year with consumers looking for comforting and hearty food to fall back on in times of uncertainty.”
