Britain is preparing to move indoors this bank holiday weekend, according to Waitrose.
Exactly a year ago, says the retailer, the country was preparing to dine Al fresco by hosting barbecues in the back garden. This weekend is likely to be more of a “winter feast”.
Waitrose sales in the last week have been driven by the cooler weather encouraging shoppers to adopt eating patterns more reminiscent of an autumn eve than the final days of summer.
The trend is predicted to continue into the weekend as the weather forecast is “anything but hot and sunny”.
Although it’s still August, Waitrose customers are cooking up hot pies, up 28% on last year, fresh soups up 27% and ready meals, up 21%. Store cupboards are also being stocked in preparation for autumn with essential Waitrose canned and packet soups up by 33% and 46% respectively, and hot drinks up by 19%.
Instead of hosting late summer barbecues, shoppers have been cooking up roast dinners to entertain their friends and family, with roasting meats and wintry vegetables being flavour of the week.
Meat accompaniments are also performing well with sales of fresh stocks and gravy up 41.5% per cent, meat sauces up 32%, frozen Yorkshire puddings up 26% and stuffing up 20%.
Hot sponges proved to be very popular as an after dinner treat last week, with sales up by 42% on last year.
Marianne Robson, from Waitrose, said: “A bank holiday with a bit of bad weather is nothing new in Britain, however, this year it appears we’ve not lost our ‘show must go on’ spirit. Our shoppers are jumping onboard the gravy train and not letting the rain dampen their entertaining efforts.
“This time last year our customers were hosting barbecues and Al Fresco parties, but it certainly seems that picnic carpets and wintry feasts will be the order of this bank holiday.”
Source: Waitrose
