‘Living slower’ leaves more time for food for more than half of UK

New research from St Pierre Bakery reveals why the opportunity for food brands is greater than ever with 61 per cent 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.

St Pierre reported that 38 per cent of the population have enjoyed not having the pressure of being somewhere at a specific time, with 34 per cent 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 per cent, time-keeping around mealtimes has shifted.

To highlight St Pierre’s National Brioche Day on May 14th, the research 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 per cent have abandoned “traditional” mealtimes.

The shift in consumer behaviour around mealtimes means shoppers are looking, more than ever, for versatile products that can work for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“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,” said St Pierre Groupe founder Paul Baker.

Breakfast has been most transformed by slower living, with 19 per cent 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 per cent) and driven an adoption of brunch for 14 per cent of Brits.

Brunch, as a popular meal occasion, was already on the rise, but with consumers working from home and spending more on food shopping, its growth has continued at pace.

“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,” said Baker. “In fact, 43 per cent 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.

“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,” added Baker

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 14th.

For more information and insight from the research, head to www.nationalbriocheday.co.uk