New research from St Pierre Bakery reveals why the opportunity for food brands is greater than ever with 61% of Brits changing eating habits during lockdown.
The past 12 months have transformed the landscape for many industries, but the impact of multiple lockdowns on consumer attitudes towards food and drink has been profound.
Research from European bakery expert, St Pierre reported that 38% of the population have enjoyed not having the pressure of being somewhere at a specific time, with 34% agreeing that lockdowns have made them ‘live slower’.
One in five believes that their ‘general concept of time’ has altered as a result of the pandemic and as such, for 17%, time-keeping around meal times has shifted.
To celebrate St Pierre’s National Brioche Day on May 14, the ‘St Pierre Moments’ research has highlighted a number of key areas for the food and drink industry. A quarter of UK adults are snacking more often during the day, whilst 20% have abandoned ‘traditional’ mealtimes.
The shift in consumer behaviour around meal times means shoppers are looking, more than ever, for versatile products that can work for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As such, sales of St Pierre are up 52% year on year.
Paul Baker, founder of St Pierre Groupe commented: “The past year has definitely made the nation live ‘slower’ and find joy in the smaller things like indulging in a favourite food. With life starting to open up, people might start to put less pressure on timekeeping and just embrace the social moments”.
Breakfast has been most transformed by slower living, with 19% eating the first meal of the day later than pre-pandemic. The knock-on impact has pushed back lunch and evening meals (16 and 15%) and driven an adoption of brunch for 14% of Brits.
Brunch, as a meal occasion, was already on the up, but with consumers working from home and spending more on food shopping, its growth has continued at pace – as an opportunity to elevate the everyday menu.
“This insight is useful for food and drink businesses and restaurants in particular – especially considering the current ‘2 hour’ booking rules. The research reaffirms what we already suspected – that food has played a greater part in our day-to-day in the past year, than it ever has before. In fact, 43% of Brits are spending more each week on their food shop now than pre-pandemic. But what’s even more interesting is what people are spending that money on”.
The increase in at-home cooking has driven the adoption of more exploratory flavour profiles which, in turn, has created new opportunities. The research revealed that one in ten UK adults have either signed up to a subscription box in a bid to keep their menu exciting or have instead taken advantage of savvy restaurateurs pivoting business to produce meal kit boxes.
Baker added: “The nation has been eager to find new ways to relax and enjoy themselves throughout COVID restrictions; consumers have been looking to try something new that transports them to a favourite restaurant or overseas holiday. St Pierre products help to ‘make everyday magnifique’ because, as this research shows, taking time to enjoy good food is a joy to be shared. We’ve got a host of new recipes for National Brioche Day to encourage people to make the most of living slower and get together with great food”.
The research was commissioned via OnePoll and was carried out in the UK and the US to help consumers make the most of a renewed love of food, ahead of National Brioche Day on May 14.
Image Credit: St Pierre Group
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Media contact
Kiran Grewal
Editor, International Bakery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@in-bakery.com
