As a merry band of devoted foodies, we’re fascinated by the Great British Chefs recent survey from a nationally representative panel of 4,000 people, which examines the attitudes and behaviours of the UK’s foodies. We couldn’t claim to be a leading integrated food and drink agency if we didn’t deliver the best and latest insight in the food and drink world, so with that in mind, let’s dive into our top ten take-outs:

1 – The UK’s community of ‘committed foodies’ is growing at pace, with an increase of 10% since 2017. The number of foodies now accounts for 30% of the UK population, with 65% of foodies living outside of London.

2 – 44% cite the internet as the place they go to find recipe inspiration, suggesting that brands should look to use their social media platforms to focus content on the story behind the products, its provenance and values.

3 – Oddly, despite the growing number of foodies, Brits aren’t confident in their cooking skills. Only 52% feel their abilities are ‘good’ or ‘very good’, a 10% decline compared to 2017.

4 – The vegan and vegetarian movement has taken the nation by storm. More than half (56%) are actively engaging with the trend on some level, meaning big opportunities for brands who can deliver on this trend.

5 – Unsurprisingly then, veg intake is on the up with our committed foodies. 44% claim to be eating more vegetables in the last 12 months, whilst turning away from processed meats such as bacon with consumption down to 30% penetration and sausages also down to 31% penetration.

6 – The war on plastic is far from over. 77% of committed foodies are actively avoiding products with excess packaging. Brands must be responsive and focus on ‘mindful’ packaging as much as taste.

7 – In the same vein, 68% of committed foodies are actively trying to reduce their food waste, which is resulting is a lot more creativity in the kitchen, cooking with leftovers and offcuts.

8 – 76% of committed foodies agree that they are prepared to pay extra for quality and are increasingly interested in provenance and traceability.

9 – Despite ‘organic’ being a byword for quality products, committed foodies seem disenchanted by the claim, with fewer purchasing organic products despite the high proportion of them investing in ‘quality’, showing they aren’t finding value or higher quality in food labelled as such.

10 – Despite the GBBO craze, traditional baking seems to be on the decline with 63% of the UK confessing to not having baked a cake in the last 12 months. Instead, foodies are becoming adventurous in the kitchen, cooking more global and plant-based dishes.

If you’re a foodie like us, check out Great British Chefs for recipe inspiration, restaurant recommendations and more.