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Grocery Eye: Mexican is favourite

Future Thinking, the business intelligence research consultancy, has revealed the findings of the 2015 Grocery Eye, an annual independent study of UK supermarket shoppers that identifies perceptions towards purchasing and consuming food and drink as well as non-food products. The survey, now in its second year, monitors the sentiments of over 2,000 consumers to determine […]

Future Thinking, the business intelligence research consultancy, has revealed the findings of the 2015 Grocery Eye, an annual independent study of UK supermarket shoppers that identifies perceptions towards purchasing and consuming food and drink as well as non-food products. The survey, now in its second year, monitors the sentiments of over 2,000 consumers to determine consumption and behaviour trends. Part of the results reveals how we are, as a nation, becoming ever more adventurous with the experimentation with new food flavours.

With holiday travel now taking in more exotic and far flung holiday destinations, and a continuing upsurge in food shows and channels on TV, we are increasingly becoming more exploratory with our eating habits.

The Grocery Eye study looked at different world foods to identify the new flavours being trialled. When considering new food flavours, Mexican came out on top with 39% showing an interest in the cuisine. This was followed by Moroccan (27%), fiery American BBQ (27%), Middle Eastern (23%) and Japanese (25%). When it comes to trying new food, younger age groups appear to be more adventurous. Almost three quarters of under-34s want to try the latest products (72%), while just half of over 55s share that desire.

The explosion of food-focused media, including social media, will have helped drive the change in eating habits, Future Thinking said, as we move out of our comfort zone and look for new flavours to trial. Everyday food and drink themed content, from recipe ideas to photos of latest meals, continue to proliferate across social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, signifying a seemingly unending search for inspiration.

Figures also indicate the growing popularity of Indonesian and Malaysian meals, whilst Brazilian and Korean may well be the New Mexican in the next 12 to 18 months.

“Our research illustrates that Britain’s taste buds continue to seek new and exotic flavours as a way to recreate far flung holiday experiences and international celebrations,” said Claudia Strauss, Managing Director of FMCG and Shopper at Future Thinking. “For manufacturers and retailers this presents exciting opportunities to offer consumers new and delicious ranges of world foods.”