Brits are expanding their at-home meal recipes as 50% are taking inspiration from holiday destinations visited over the summer months, data by Ocado has revealed.
Of 2,000 adults, 46% are now more adventurous in the kitchen than three years ago.
As travel restrictions have eased since the peak of the pandemic, popular holiday dishes from Italy, Greece and Spain are making their way into UK households with olives and feta increasingly being added to consumers shopping baskets.
According to the online-only grocer, Brits new favourite meals to recreate include pasta, pizza, Greek salad, Spanish tapas and paella, whilst Morrocan tagines, Jamaican jerk chicken, French-style cheese boards and Mexican burritos also take spots among the top 20.
With plantain, paella rice and snails as some of the ingredients Brits are most intrigued to experiment with, 49% agree they’re looking to branch out and adopt new flavours within their current cooking routines.
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In a bid to escape the holiday blues, 48% said their family had ‘begged’ them to create a dish inspired by their favourite destinations, however 68% admitted their first attempt hadn’t quite gone to plan.
For 20%, food is one of the main factors when looking to book a holiday and 41% think of food back home when on holiday, ordering their online shop from the poolside.
However, despite a desire to broaden their taste palette’s, according to 42% of Brits, the international ingredients they look for are often unavailable in UK shops, with over half (54%) having to visit specialist grocery stores to locate these specific items.
“Food is central to many people’s holidays, with friends and family coming together to indulge in delicious meals in scenic settings,” Ocado Retail brand director, Lisa McDowell said.
“Once we return home, those meals are often one of the things we miss most, and so recreating these dishes helps us to reminisce and keep that holiday spirit alive.”
She added: “It can be frustrating when you struggle to find the specialist ingredients you’ve enjoyed on holiday after returning home, but luckily Ocado can help,” highlighting the grocer’s range of international products and ingredients.
