Staying in becomes the new eating out

Dining in doesn’t need to mean compromising on the eating experience. Farm shop steak suppers, food hall feasts and deli-sourced antipasti, all focused on local sourcing and specialities, give independent retailers the opportunity to help shoppers elevate at-home dining.

Consumers can bring a taste of restaurant-style eating into their own homes. And as they look for ways to stretch their food budgets while still enjoying quality, variety and a sense of occasion, retailers can offer something unique compared to supermarkets, in the form of distinctive ingredients, ready-to-serve convenient selections and the expertise to create these meals at home.

At-home eating has increased significantly over the last decade, with Worldpanel data showing that 3.3 billion more meals are eaten at home in 2026 than in 2016. Independent retailers can tap into this by becoming the destination shoppers turn to when they want to make an evening meal into an elevated experience.

Eating-in experiences will continue to grow

Staying in to eat is a trend that’s not expected to slow down. In 2026, the at-home dining, delivery and convenience market is expected to reach £102.8 billion, up 1.8%. Health, quality and value are key decision drivers, while operators respond by offering more premium, restaurant-inspired products.

The growing preference for eating in is therefore shaping the UK eating-out market too, according to insights from Lumina Intelligence’s UK Eating Out 2026 Market Report. Interestingly, it is how consumers eat and what they are buying, not how often they go out for food, that is increasingly driving this growth.

“The definition of eating out is changing,” said Andy Crossan, Head of Insight at Lumina Intelligence. Today, location, occasion, convenience and experience drive the meaning of “eating out” for British consumers.

Cost, comfort and convenience

Several key factors are driving this change towards at-home dining. Across society, a structural shift is taking place, in which consumers are prioritising comfort, control and affordability.

“Consumers are increasingly making an occasion out of staying in, driven by economic uncertainty, declining consumer confidence and a growing preference for comfort, control and convenience,” a spokesperson for Lumina Intelligence told Speciality Food.

Cost is increasingly important to shoppers, as they look to make their budgets go further. Consumers might decide to eat out less frequently or go for something smaller—a coffee or a pastry—as a treat to replace eating their main meals out.

“The shift is being reinforced by rising living costs, with many consumers becoming more selective about when and where they spend,” said the spokesperson.
Independent retailers can tap into this by building affordable meal options that promote a few standout ingredients. The key is to convey how speciality cheese, artisan bread or locally sourced meat, for instance, can transform a simple supper into a special occasion.

Keeping price in mind and the shift to reducing restaurant visits, retailers can offer products at different price points, giving consumers the opportunity to choose from accessible small treats to full dinner-party-worthy spreads. 

Going beyond scratch cooking

“In the last year, scratch cooking has made a comeback, and the level of involvement in and time we dedicate to meals in the home has also increased,” Nathan Ward, Business Unit Director at Worldpanel By Numerator, told Speciality Food. Fully homemade food accounts for 16% of all UK meals and is up 2% year on year—the first year of growth since the peak of lockdown.

Retailers can focus on stocking wholesome, nostalgic ingredients that form the foundation of home-cooked meals as part of their strategies. Deli-made quiches, pies, soups, salads and prepared dishes can sit alongside complementary ingredients to help shoppers make quick selections that go far on the dining table. These offer consumers a way to reduce preparation time and increase convenience, without compromising quality.

Making pairing suggestions in-store can also increase convenience for shoppers. Fresh pasta with sauces, locally sourced meats with marinade options, or prepared dishes with seasonal sides give shoppers inspirational ideas for meals that feel a little more special, without having to find each component separately.

However, the scratch-cooking trend is more complex in the long term. It is recovering in the short term but remains down 4% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019. A bounce-back has yet to occur. Takeaways and convenient meal solutions continue to grow by 35% and 23%, respectively, indicating that they remain a priority on consumers’ shopping lists.

Making at-home dining feel special

“Consumers [are putting] more thought into eating at home—whether that means cooking something special, creating a more enjoyable atmosphere or treating themselves to higher-quality ingredients,” Francesca Paling, food stylist, home economist and recipe writer, told Speciality Food.

Increasingly, the eating out occasion is happening at home, with shoppers looking for ingredients, flavours and formats that give at-home dining experiences a little something extra, making them feel more special. “We’re also seeing more desire for control over ingredients to create easy, nutritious meals,” said Nathan.

“The type of meals we are eating at home has changed too,” Nathan added. A wider range of cuisines have entered our diets, more ‘fast food’ style meals are being consumed at home, and meals with chicken as the centrepiece have grown too. Bringing ‘out-of-home’ flavours into their own kitchens underpins consumers’ eating patterns.

Independent retailers can curate cheese and charcuterie boards, antipasti selections and grazing platters. Making recommendations for accompaniments like crackers, preserves, pickles, oils and condiments can help take the pressure and uncertainty off shoppers.

Pairing also gives retailers the opportunity to introduce consumers to unfamiliar ingredients and regional specialities. From a strategy standpoint, it enables retailers to sell complete occasion-led product ranges rather than relying on individual product sales.

“As the sole cook in my house, I always want to make mealtimes as enjoyable as possible,” said Francesca. “It is always nice to set the table, eat from my favourite crockery, use my favourite serving dishes and make it look as beautiful as possible, even for something simple.”

“I’ve always enjoyed food family-style, with everyone sharing, helping themselves and getting involved, having as much or as little as they want to,” Francesca shared. “There’s something very social and generous about eating that way.”

Seasons shape eating habits

Seasonality also plays a role, with warm weather driving consumption of lighter meals like salads, and colder weather pulling us towards more filling and comforting dishes.
Retailers can create seasonal supper suggestions around local produce. Soup ingredients, slow-cooked cuts of meat, root vegetables and warm options are big hits in the autumn and winter months.

After embracing eating and drinking outdoors during the summer months, there is a natural shift toward hunkering down at home and eating comfort food. “There’s something very appealing about enjoying those dishes in the comfort and cosiness of your own home; it’s dreamy,” Francesca said.

“Autumn and winter dishes naturally lend themselves to entertaining too,” Francesca added. Cooking something slow and low in one pot or in one batch is much easier when you’re trying to entertain. It makes sense to invite friends round for a beef bourguignon and a bottle of red wine, rather than making tacos and margaritas for 10 people. “It becomes less about simply eating at home and more about creating an occasion around it,” Francesca shared.

In the summer, retailers can build summer entertaining selections that centre on cheese, salads, barbecue ingredients and picnic foods.
Throughout the year, farm shops, food halls and delis can use seasonal recipes and tasting sessions to draw in shoppers, encourage discovery and build loyalty that leads to repeat visits.

Opportunities for retailers in the at-home market

Retailers can shift how they display their products to go beyond category listings and merchandise around what shoppers want to create with their eating-in experience: a Friday-night ‘put-your-feet-up’ supper, a date-night dinner, a relaxed lunch with friends, or a family roast.

These show shoppers how products can pair together, rather than leaving them to imagine the finished meal. By making this change, shoppers can buy a solution to an occasion rather than a collection of ingredients.

Farm shops and delis can curate these displays around seasonal supper selections, regional food pairings or ready-to-make grazing platters to inspire shoppers and encourage them to add accompanying products to their baskets. Food halls can also bring together multiple traders around a particular theme, encouraging consumers to explore different stalls and discover new products.

Flexible, convenience-led formats are vital to growing the presence and favourability of retailers and brands among shoppers. Yet, creating convenience for shoppers without losing the specialist touch is crucial.

Independent retailers can draw on their knowledge and utilise it to enhance the consumer shopping experience. Explaining how products can be used, what they pair well with and why they’re worth trying helps shoppers achieve the at-home occasions they’re looking for.

Staff recommendations, recipe cards, tasting notes and serving suggestions can help consumers feel confident buying new or premium products. These can help retailers meet consumer demands, as shoppers want restaurant-style results but lack the time or skills to prepare elaborate meals.

Making eating experiences enjoyable

“Food shouldn’t just be something we have to get through; it should be something we take the time to enjoy,” said Francesca. “Food has become such an important part of lives and culture here in the last couple of decades, that we’re now learning from what so many other cultures have been doing for generations.”

For independent retailers, the opportunity in at-home occasions lies in meeting demand for quality and convenience-led meal solutions that help consumers create special occasions without leaving home.

It is also about making eating at home feel less routine and easier for shoppers to eat well, try something different and enjoy food together. Matching distinctive products with seasonal inspiration, expert guidance and convenient meal solutions sees retailers help consumers create memorable occasions, all from the comfort of their homes.

As consumers continue to rethink when and how they spend on eating out, independent retailers can become an essential part of the at-home dining experience. Instead of simply being somewhere to buy ingredients, they can be the place to go for inspiration for the meal itself.

“Looking ahead, we expect at-home occasions to remain an important part of the market,” said Lumina Intelligence’s spokesperson.