From British classics to TikTok trends: Deliveroo reveals what the UK’s been eating over Lockdown 3.0.
The vaccines are rolling out and restrictions are beginning to be lifted – the end is in sight. As we prepare to emerge from a long year of lockdowns, which saw Brits experiment with different cuisines, on-demand at-home deliveries, and TikTok food crazes, Deliveroo has taken a look back over the last three months in lockdown to reveal what the people of Britain have been tucking into and ordering at the touch of a button.
Here are some interesting trends over the last three months:
Deliveroo saw an 188% increase in Mochi orders between January and March, since the Japanese dessert took the internet by storm. Norwich, Oxford and Aberdeen Deliveroo customers tucked into more burritos than any other city. The people of Cardiff also favour Mexican cuisine with quesadillas being their favourite dish.
Customers in Blackburn, Aylesbury, Coventry, Leicester and Portsmouth have the sweetest teeth of all, with the top 5 most popular diehs being milkshakes, frozen yogurts, chocolate strawberries and cookie dough.
Loughborough and Glasgow are the biggest fans of Italian cuisine with pizza securing the top takeaway spot once again. In Birmingham, Brighton and Inverness it’s Margarita pizza that is most popular. Cambridge and Nottingham households love to order poke bowls. Whilst over in Exeter and St Andrews, residents can’t get enough of sushi with the traditional Japanese dish being ordered more than any other item.
This year, most people couldn’t spend Mothering Sunday with their family and turned to on-demand services to deliver messages of gratitude and love.
Compared to 2020, Deliveroo saw a 111% increase in fresh flower orders on Mother’s Day in 2021, with London ordering the most, followed by Cambridge and Welwyn Garden City. Many people celebrated Chinese New Year – Year of the Ox – with a delicious takeaway, as orders from Chinese restaurants increased by 176% YOY.
During lockdown, more Brits used Deliveroo to get their groceries delivered straight to their door in as little as 30 minutes. In Lancaster, a pack of five bananas topped the list of most popular items ordered, whilst in Scunthorpe, sausage rolls were the top choice.
Data revealed that Brits left it to the last minute to grab their Easter Eggs as Deliveroo saw a 450% YOY increase in Easter Egg orders. In January, Deliveroo reported a huge increase in demand for vegan food, with orders of plant-based dishes up 163% on the previous year. The first week of January 2021 saw a 153% rise in searches for ‘vegan’ food in the app compared to the month before, as Brits in lockdown took on Veganuary.
Bristolians have been keeping it green, with falafel from Eat a Pitta being the top delivery choice. People of Lincoln have also opted for more vegan dishes this lockdown, with Bang Bang Cauliflower securing the top spot in the city. In contrast, whilst Liverpudlians ordered more vegan foods in the first lockdown, this time around, Steak Poutine was top takeaway of choice.
Deliveroo data showed people of Bath and Edinburgh continue to be big fans of Thai food, with their top takeaway choice being a Pad Thai. In Newcastle and Guildford, customers were dreaming of the Mediterranean with locals ordering more Greek food than any other cuisine. Customers in Middlesbrough branched out in lockdown 3.0, as they transitioned from ordering cheeseburgers in the first lockdown to Lobster Spaghetti this time around.
Deliveroo has revealed the most popular dishes ordered in each city since the UK entered the third (and hopefully the last) lockdown back in late December.