>>Mitzie Wilson, editor of new food magazine Delicious, on what the modern food lover wants
A new type of food consumer has emerged. Called the ‘modern food lover’ by Delicious, this consumer has a passion for great eating and great cooking and is not defined by age but rather by attitude and lifestyle.
A modern food lover can be a student cooking a curry for his mates after a night out at the pub; a concerned mum, wanting to make nutritious meals for her family; a commuter who doesn’t think about what he or she is going to eat tonight until they are on the train home (then pops into the nearest supermarket to buy a few key ingredients to assembly-cook in 10 minutes); the real foodie who pores over cookery books all week, plans what to cook and then spends Saturday morning at a local food market, butcher or fishmonger selecting perfect free-range or organic produce; or the retired couple with more time to enjoy cooking and who want to brush up on their cookery skills again.
In particular, we think there are more and more men cooking than ever before. Think about it and I’m sure you all know men who cook the main meal every night for their partners. Certainly there are many men who are almost obsessional about their cook’s tools. Big, shiny knife blocks and espresso machines are the new boys’ toys.
Research conducted by Delicious into the favourite foodstuffs and ingredients of the modern food lover has revealed the most popular items are totally different from just 10 years ago and include products such as fresh pasta, fresh tuna steaks, basil, buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and goats’ cheese.
The key to the modern food lover’s shopping basket can be found in what it does not contain. It’s about fresh coffee, not instant; fresh chilled soups, not tinned; fresh herbs, not dried; fresh fish and more adventurous fish such as fresh tuna and swordfish rather than the traditional cod; and interesting cheeses from the deli.
During the week, the focus for the modern food lover is on easy-to-make, great tasting assembly dishes. A dash into the supermarket to buy a chicken breast and a bag of salad is the norm.
But when the weekend arrives, the modern food lover can indulge and spend a bit more time on cooking as a purely leisure activity. Then they will tackle the more complex, creative and often foreign dishes. Modern food lovers want to cook the kind
of food they’ve seen the television chefs create, the kind of food they’ve become used to eating in gastropubs all over Britain and the kind of food that looks stylish yet is simple to make.
Nowadays these foodies want to know where their food comes from, who produces it and how it is made. People want to build up a relationship with those that sell their food and are keen to visit farm shops, farmers’ markets or search the internet for top quality produce for a special meal. Shopping at supermarkets plays an important role but modern food lovers are also searching the shelves for local British and specialist ingredients.
But a modern food lover won’t always feel the need to cook. They are not ashamed to cheat as sometimes the social interaction is as important as the food. The difference is that the modern food lover will now, for the sake of convenience, buy organic bread, the best possible cheeses and marinated vegetables to nibble on, or a top-quality takeaway, served with great wines.
Retailers have recognised the need for quality alternatives to cooking with their fresh, chilled curries and Thai dishes.
The modern food lover is a key economic driver in the food retail sector, linked to the way retailers and suppliers are growing their businesses. Modern food lovers are always on the look out for the next new taste sensation but ultimately they will want great meals with the very best ingredients cooked in simple stylish ways.
A new type of food consumer has emerged. Called the ‘modern food lover’ by Delicious, this consumer has a passion for great eating and great cooking and is not defined by age but rather by attitude and lifestyle.
A modern food lover can be a student cooking a curry for his mates after a night out at the pub; a concerned mum, wanting to make nutritious meals for her family; a commuter who doesn’t think about what he or she is going to eat tonight until they are on the train home (then pops into the nearest supermarket to buy a few key ingredients to assembly-cook in 10 minutes); the real foodie who pores over cookery books all week, plans what to cook and then spends Saturday morning at a local food market, butcher or fishmonger selecting perfect free-range or organic produce; or the retired couple with more time to enjoy cooking and who want to brush up on their cookery skills again.
In particular, we think there are more and more men cooking than ever before. Think about it and I’m sure you all know men who cook the main meal every night for their partners. Certainly there are many men who are almost obsessional about their cook’s tools. Big, shiny knife blocks and espresso machines are the new boys’ toys.
Research conducted by Delicious into the favourite foodstuffs and ingredients of the modern food lover has revealed the most popular items are totally different from just 10 years ago and include products such as fresh pasta, fresh tuna steaks, basil, buffalo mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and goats’ cheese.
The key to the modern food lover’s shopping basket can be found in what it does not contain. It’s about fresh coffee, not instant; fresh chilled soups, not tinned; fresh herbs, not dried; fresh fish and more adventurous fish such as fresh tuna and swordfish rather than the traditional cod; and interesting cheeses from the deli.
During the week, the focus for the modern food lover is on easy-to-make, great tasting assembly dishes. A dash into the supermarket to buy a chicken breast and a bag of salad is the norm.
But when the weekend arrives, the modern food lover can indulge and spend a bit more time on cooking as a purely leisure activity. Then they will tackle the more complex, creative and often foreign dishes. Modern food lovers want to cook the kind
of food they’ve seen the television chefs create, the kind of food they’ve become used to eating in gastropubs all over Britain and the kind of food that looks stylish yet is simple to make.
Nowadays these foodies want to know where their food comes from, who produces it and how it is made. People want to build up a relationship with those that sell their food and are keen to visit farm shops, farmers’ markets or search the internet for top quality produce for a special meal. Shopping at supermarkets plays an important role but modern food lovers are also searching the shelves for local British and specialist ingredients.
But a modern food lover won’t always feel the need to cook. They are not ashamed to cheat as sometimes the social interaction is as important as the food. The difference is that the modern food lover will now, for the sake of convenience, buy organic bread, the best possible cheeses and marinated vegetables to nibble on, or a top-quality takeaway, served with great wines.
Retailers have recognised the need for quality alternatives to cooking with their fresh, chilled curries and Thai dishes.
The modern food lover is a key economic driver in the food retail sector, linked to the way retailers and suppliers are growing their businesses. Modern food lovers are always on the look out for the next new taste sensation but ultimately they will want great meals with the very best ingredients cooked in simple stylish ways.
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