Heatwave Triggers Surprise Spike In Winter Comfort Foods

As the UK faces unprecedented heatwaves, consumer spending reveals an unexpected shift in dining habits. Shoppers are showing clear signs of 'feta fatigue,' bypassing traditional summer salads in favour of cold-weather comfort foods - with sales of hearty pies, cheesy gratins and bold red wines soaring despite the rising temperatures.

Key Trends:

• Pie sales soar with cottage pie +110% and Chicken & Ham Gratin and South African red wine +68% in the last month

• Recipe searches on Waitrose.com for spaghetti bolognese, toad in the hole and mac ‘n’ cheese +91%, +67% and +57% in the last month

• Driven by the ‘reverse comfort eating’ trend, with customers pivoting back to rich, grounding classics

Stephen Parkins-Knight, Senior Innovation Chef, says: “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. Because when the weather goes extreme, appetite doesn't follow the mercury, it follows what feels real, familiar, and deeply good. And honestly? That's not just a trend that's instinct, with a side of gravy."

In the last month, sales for:

• South African fine red wine +68%

• Waitrose No.1 Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie +41%

• Cottage Pie +110%

• Chicken Korma & Rice +67%

• Chicken & Ham Gratin +68%

In the last month, recipe searches on Waitrose.com for:

• Toad in the hole +67%

• Spaghetti bolognese +91%

• Chilli con carne +41%

• Tomato soup recipes +46%

• Rarebit mac ‘n’ cheese +57%

• Vegetable casserole with dumplings +15%