Food websites have overtaken cookery books as the first place to find meal ideas, according to a new survey by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Food blogs are also increasing in popularity, with 41 per cent of people turning to online for recipe inspirations.
AHDB senior analyst Steven Evans said the results are a lesson for produce marketing organisations, including the AHDB itself, to refine online promotional activity.
The AHDB Consumer Tracker, run in partnership with YouGov, surveyed 4,000 people nationwide about their food habits and attitudes. Of those, two-thirds claim to cook from scratch several times a week and two in five wanted to increase their repertoire of recipes.
Despite this, there is still strong growth in the convenience and prepared produce markets (4.1 and 11 per cent year-on-year respectively), suggesting that aspirations outstrip reality, the AHDB said.
“People have a clear desire to cook meals from scratch and try new things and naturally they are turning to the web for ideas,” said AHDB senior analyst, Steven Evans.
“But hectic lifestyles mean that convenience is king and with retailers investing in ranges designed to slash time spent in the kitchen, people’s view of what constitutes home-cooking is changing.”
Evans said there is an opportunity for the industry to tap in to the consumer psyche and position products as meal solutions rather than just ingredients. “There is also a lesson for us at AHDB – and others involved in marketing activity – to refine and target our online promotional activity,” he added.
