Waitrose has reported a surprise surge in sales of winter comfort foods such as cottage pies, gratins and red wine, despite ongoing heatwaves across the UK.
Sales figures show sharp increases
The upmarket grocer said sales of cottage pies rose by 110%, while chicken and ham gratin and South African red wine both increased by 68% over the past month.
Recipe searches on Waitrose.com for spaghetti bolognese, toad in the hole and mac 'n' cheese climbed 91%, 67% and 57% respectively.
Customers show 'feta fatigue'
The supermarket said customers were showing clear signs of “feta fatigue”, bypassing traditional summer salads in favour of cold-weather comfort foods.
Stephen Parkins-Knight, senior innovation chef at Waitrose, said: “Forget the thermostat, when a heatwave goes on, raw salads and chilled plates can often lose their cool fast.
“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.
“Think flaky pies, slow-simmered chilli, soul-warming soups, and a bold glass of red.”
