Cheap cuts, canned food back in demand as shoppers become mindful, says Waitrose

Shoppers are “making little downgrades” and choosing cheaper cuts such as swapping sourdough for sliced white bread and olive oil for cheaper vegetable oil, Waitrose stated today (20). 

Canned foods, including Spam and pilchards, as well as cheap cuts such as fish heads are back in demand in the supermarket as customers are seeking prudent alternatives for mealtimes, The Guardian stated citing the supermarket’s annual food and drink report. 

Waitrose says sales of Spam, which costs £3 for a large tin, are up by 36 per cent this year while searches for the “spam fritters with crushed peas” recipe on its website are up more than 80 per cent. 

Martyn Lee, the supermarket’s executive chef, said the cost of living squeeze was getting people to “think creatively” and explore more affordable cuts of meat and protein.  

“Fish head soups and curries have long been popular in Asia,” the report quoted Lee as saying. “For Spam, social media also plays a part, as does a sense of nostalgia and novelty. After taking the initial plunge, people realise it’s actually a versatile ingredient.” 

During and post Covid, Britons seem to have re-adopted eating tinned food with everything from corned beef to beans, pulses and fish. These products are enjoying a popularity not seen since the rationing of the second world war, stated the report. 

The Waitrose report, which is based on analysis of its sales data for the past 12 months as well as a poll of 2,000 consumers, said three out of four shoppers were now more mindful about what they are spending. Over a third were shopping around for bargains with one in four keeping an eye out for the yellow stickers on reduced items.