Traditional veg sales may benefit from an unusual consumer trend for wintry classics after heatwave prompts ‘feta fatigue’, according to Waitrose
Staple veg lines such as peas, carrots or cabbage could benefit from an unusual summer consumer trend for traditional winter meals.
Consumers are seeking relief from heatwave and an overload of summer salad dishes by choosing to buy and make wintry classics, including cottage pie, toad in the hole or vegetable casserole, according to new Waitrose figures.
The retailer has reported a rising number of searches for meals on its website, including toad in the hole (+67 per cent), spaghetti bolognese (+91 per cent) and chilli con carne (+41 per cent), while cottage pie sales have risen by 110 per cent in the last month.
The switch is driven by the ‘reverse comfort eating’ trend, Waitrose said, with shoppers showing clear signs of ‘feta fatigue’.
“Forget the thermostat, when a heatwave goes on, raw salads and chilled plates can often lose their cool fast,” said Waitrose senior innovation chef, Stephen Parkins-Knight.
”What we’re seeing is a trend in ‘reverse comfort eating’ - after spending all day drained by the heat, people crave rich, grounding staples to recharge, pivoting back toward comfort and familiarity,” he said.
”Think flaky pies, slow-simmered chilli, soul-warming soups, and a bold glass of red. Because when the weather goes extreme, appetite doesn’t follow the mercury, it follows what feels real, familiar, and deeply good.”
