SF-June-20

@specialityfood 10 “Food predictions post Covid-19” I never quite believed that our shopping habits and retail environment could radically change, but in just a few short weeks everything is different. There is now a real appreciation of the independent sector and its role in the local community, and the majority of consumers understand that worker safety is a justifiable priority. Farm shops, delis and small independent specialist food shops have implemented employee protection initiatives while continuing to produce and sell safe, quality food. How will things change in the longer term when social distancing and other measures will be relaxed? With restaurants and takeaways either closed or offering limited services, households have been forced to cook more often at home and from scratch. This shift has led to the increasing popularity of online cooking videos as consumers have rediscovered the pleasure of making meals in their own kitchens using locally sourced ingredients. This will only increase as more people work from home even when the pandemic is past. It is likely that we will place greater stock in the pleasure of dining in with family and friends. Independents can offer tasty and easy-to-prep meal solutions or devise nutritious menus, helping shoppers looking for guidance as they attempt more adventurous cooking with interesting ingredients. With the importance of strict hygiene and food safety becoming a real consumer concern, better visibility and transparency on product sourcing and manufacturing is needed. Consumers will want reassurance that their food has been produced and shipped safely - we will all be examining food labels much more intensely with provenance a key selling point. Shoppers will also be on the lookout for in-store cleanliness and retail practices that demonstrate high levels of hygiene. Research has shown that the public believe that animal products are the root cause of the virus. In China in particular consumers have become wary of fresh meat and fish. With the COVID-19 outbreak reputedly stemming from ‘wet markets’ this may further undermine our trust in meat, accelerating the demand for plant- based proteins and vegetarian meals. It could also lead to a renewed interest in buying British products from British farms. While younger consumers have generally been used to online food ordering, more elderly shoppers have been ambivalent towards using the internet for their shopping. Having been forced to order a myriad of products for home delivery, a new generation have mastered online ordering and will be continuing to purchase through their computers, tablets and phones when it is convenient. Many independent retailers have started offering local delivery and click and collect, and this will surely become a new popular service with a wider range of consumers. Finally, Google search data has revealed how the nation’s online behaviours have changed since lockdown. The absence of flour on supermarket shelves can be explained by the explosion of making homemade bread. Searches for sourdough recipes have increased 700%, scones 650%, flatbread 400% and soda bread 350%. Home baking is surely here to stay. Sue Nelson presents the FoodTalk Show with Holly Shackleton foodtalk.co.uk SUE NELSON From contactless to Apple Pay, many retailers will already have witnessed a rise in digital transactions over the years. But following Coronavirus, we could see an evenmore rapid decline in the use of cash. According to research conducted by YouGov for ATM network Link, the UK’s cash withdrawals have fallen by 60% during lockdown, as over half of Brits actively avoid using cash in favour of other payment methods. The decline is the result of contamination fears as it was revealed that COVID-19 can temporarily live on surfaces such as bank notes. As such, many retailers have refused to accept cash payments in order to limit the risk of transfer. But even after lockdown lifts and social distancing measures are eased, we could see the trend for digital methods continue. The same survey showed that 76% of people think the Coronavirus crisis will affect their future use of cash over the next six months, with many preferring to use contactless or mobile payments, do more online shopping or simply use ATMs less frequently. That said, bank notes and coins aren’t about to become history quite yet. Link data shows that there are still 11 million withdrawals a week, totalling £1 billion. And whilst the number of transactions has decreased, the amount per transaction has increased, with many people saving their cash for emergencies. Retailers will no doubt have adapted to the change in behaviour during lockdown; some retailers have begun offering the option of card payment for the first time, whilst others are being very vocal about the fact that they do accept cash, knowing people may prefer the quicker payment option if it’s managed in a safe way. Looking to the future, many customers who may have been apprehensive about digital transactions in the past, have perhaps become more comfortable with shopping online or paying by card, and may continue to do so in the future. However, when concerns over traces of the virus on surfaces eases, the convenience of using cash may set back in. As with any behaviour trend that has emerged during lockdown, it remains to be seen how habits will shift or continue once businesses reopen and restrictions ease. Coronavirus leads to sharp decline in cash CASH WITHDRAWALS HAVE FALLEN BY 60% DURING LOCKDOWN SOURCE: RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY YOUGOV FOR ATM NETWORK LINK As shoppers look to reduce their trips out of the house amid the coronavirus outbreak, weekly sales of veg boxes in the UK have more than doubled. According to new data from the Food Foundation gathered through surveys of 101 UK veg box schemes, sales increased by 111% in the six weeks from the end of February to mid-April. With about 500 schemes operating in the UK, a total of 3.5 million boxes were delivered to households over the last six weeks, the Food Foundation estimates. But producers of veg boxes are struggling to cope with the rising demand, with 82% of those surveyed putting waiting lists in place and turning away orders. The average waiting list numbered 160 people, while the largest box scheme surveyed had turned away 6,700 customers. If these waiting lists could be met and the customers being turned away were supplied instead, an estimated 5.3 million veg boxes could be supplied over the next six weeks, the Food Foundation found. Veg box businesses are calling for government support in the form of small grants so they can scale up to meet demand. “Like many farms selling into local markets we have seen some of our wholesale markets collapse overnight and demand rocket for veg boxes and deliveries. To deal with this we have had to invest rapidly in additional infrastructure, labour and equipment without any security that this demand will stay,” says Adam Payne from the Landworkers’ Alliance and Southern Roots Growers. “We need government grants for the essential infrastructure to make sure that we can transition our business, supply people who need produce and remain afloat ourselves.” Investment could help with staffing and supplies as well as necessary infrastructure, such as polytunnels, delivery vehicles, cold stores and packing houses. “In a time of national crisis, fruit and veg producers running box schemes have provided a critical service to their customers and communities: we must ensure our agriculture policy, now and in the future, helps them get the investment they need as they play a vital role in supporting access to healthy produce as part of a sustainable food and farming system,” says Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation. Veg box sales rocket by 111% in six weeks as Covid-19 drives demand