Are consumer attitudes towards cooking at home changing? Do people enjoy cooking or are there any significant barriers that prevent people from cooking?
1. Attitudes to cooking
Are consumer attitudes toward cooking at home changing? Do people enjoy cooking or
are there any significant barriers that prevent people from cooking?
Emily Beardshaw, Consumer Insight Analyst, AHDB
August 2018
AHDB Retail and Consumer Insight Snapshot
2. 2% 3%
7% 9%
19% 19%
33% 33%
38% 36%
Apr-17 May-18
I enjoy cooking and I'm
confident cooking a wide
variety of dishes
I enjoy cooking but have a
limited repertoire of things I
feel confident cooking
I cook because I have to but
I don't particularly enjoy it
I can cook very basic things
and often use ready meals
I can't cook at all and so
don't really bother to try
Level of cooking skill
Source: AHDB/YouGov Consumer Tracker May 18 All respondents (4258) ERD: Thinking now about your level of cooking skill, please select how you would rate your cooking ability, EQ35, EQ35a: To what extent do
you agree or disagree with these statements?
AHDB/YouGov’s consumer tracker shows that 7 in 10 enjoy cooking
and 47% say they would cook more if they knew more simple dishes
using a few key ingredients
70%
Net: agree
67%
58%
44%
would like to know how to cook more dishes
enjoy experimenting with different recipes and
foods
would cook more if knew more simple dishes
using a few key ingredients
Net: agree
67%
55%
47%
Apr-17
May-18
Net: agree
26%
22%
would rather do other things than waste time
cooking
don’t need to cook these days as there are so
many options that you can buy to get great
tasting food
Net: agree
28%
23%
Apr-17 May-18
3. 3% of people say they can’t cook or don’t
bother to try
The most popular reasons cited for this, were:
• My partner/other people do it
• I have no desire/interest
• I don’t have the time
• I don’t enjoy it
• I can’t be bothered
• I don’t feel confident in trying to cook new things
Source: AHDB/YouGov Consumer Tracker May 2018, ERD. Base: 4258 Thinking now about your level of cooking skill, please select how you would rate your cooking ability. EQ30 Base: 493. You mentioned earlier
that you can’t/ don’t cook. What would you say is the reason for this? (Please tick all that apply)
4. What is cooking from scratch and are people
bothered?
Sources: Mintel, Attitudes toward Cooking in the Home – July 2018; AHDB/YouGov Consumer Tracker May 2018, EQ28. Base: 4258 Please select how many times a week you usually cook a recipe from scratch?
Cooking from scratch is to prepare and cook a home-made meal with a recipe that uses fresh, raw and store cupboard ingredients
Ease of preparation is another key factor in meal choice and, for this reason, ready-to-cook shortcuts and
component meals that remove the need to cook from scratch have a broad appeal.
AHDB define cooking from scratch as: to prepare and cook a home-made meal with a recipe that uses
fresh, raw and store cupboard ingredients
AHDB’s tracker findings show that 78% of people say they cook from scratch once a week or more, with
little variation by age.
The research agency Mintel ask respondents about dishes created completely from scratch (defined
as using uncooked ingredients)
Mintel research shows that around a third of 16—24 year-olds say how they mostly prepare evening
meals is by cooking completely from scratch, compared with over 50% of those aged 55 or over.
5. Once a week
or less
2—3 times a
week
4—5 times a
week
6+ times a
week
Number of recipes cooked
from scratch:
Almost two-thirds of people claim to cook from scratch more
than once a week
Source: AHDB/YouGov consumer tracker May 18 Base: All respondents (4258) EQ28: Please select how many times a week you usually cook a recipe from scratch? EQ35: To what extent do you agree or
disagree with these statements?
41%
…of consumers intend to increase
the number of meals they cook from
scratch at home.
February 2018
April 2017
44%
44%
76%
…always check the price of food
before buying it
February 2018
April 2017
76%
75%
6. Source: AHDB/YouGov consumer tracker May 18 Base: All respondents who can cook at all YGq7 Base: 4148, What makes you look for new recipe ideas? EQ32 Base: 4148, Please select where you go for
inspiration for new recipes
There appears to be a willingness to learn, while over a quarter are
looking to improve their overall diet
I fancy
something
different to eat
57%
I like to try new
recipe ideas
42%
I see the
recipe
somewhere
and want to
give it a try
41%
I want to
learn how to
cook/cook
something
new
34%
I want to learn
to cook more
recipes
33%
I want to
improve my
overall diet
30%
I am looking for
recipes which
other members
of the household
will like
27%
What makes you look for new recipe ideas?
7. Cooking confidence a key factor in choice of
meal to cook across all age groups
Sources: AHDB/YouGov Consumer Tracker May 18: EQ26 Base: 4258 Please could you indicate why you choose the meals that you cook on a regular basis? (Please tick one option for each horizontal row)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Total
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+
Net Agree %
Please could you indicate why you choose the meals that you
cook on a regular basis?
They are quick and easy to cook I feel confident cooking these dishes
They don't cost too much
8. How we live is changing, it’s worth remembering
these bigger factors impact food choices too
Adults living with parents
• In 1990, 21% of 20—34-year-olds in the UK were living with their parents, by
2017 this had risen to 26%. Leaving home is an example of a key life stage that
can trigger a need or aspiration to learn to cook, but this is happening later in life
for some and the story is similar for marriage and starting a family
Meal times are changing
• Findings from AHDB’s consumer tracker show those aged 16—24 are more likely
to sit and eat alone most days or everyday than any other age group
Where inspiration is found is different
• Rapid advances in technology have made information easily accessible and
searchable. Mobile internet access has accelerated the use of mobile electronic
devices for this, along with the sharing of information via social media. Food
websites and social media are increasingly important for recipe inspiration
(Read more about young consumers in our consumer focus report)
Sources: Foresight Factory; AHDB/YouGov Consumer tracker May 2018 EQ21_6 Base: 4258, How often, if at all, do you have each of the following meal occasions? (Please tick one option for each horizontal row) —
Eat on my own
9. Summary: Attitudes to cooking
Interest in cooking
• Overall interest in cooking is high
• Many say they would like to learn new recipes or
feel they would cook more if they knew more
recipes
• ‘Fancy something different to eat’ was a top
reason for looking for a new recipe, this highlights
the importance of variety in peoples’ diets
• Many people think they cook from scratch at least
once a week; trends based around healthy eating
are likely to encourage more people to cook from
scratch
Innovation Opportunities
Cooking confidence is key
• Feeling confident in what you are cooking is
important. This is likely to be linked to the ease of
preparation and time it takes to cook
• When people are less confident, it can be a barrier
to wanting to cook – especially cooking from
scratch
• There is a huge range of information available to
provide recipe inspiration through digital
technology, but perhaps more needs to be done to
help people with the practical skills needed to
boost their confidence in the kitchen
Cooking from scratch allows consumers to control the ingredients in their food and is an opportunity for fresh and chilled
products to promote their healthy credentials
10. ahdb.org.uk/consumerinsight
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