Waitrose reports surge in comfort food sales amid UK heatwave

Supermarket chain Waitrose said UK heatwaves are prompting a reversal of typical seasonal eating patterns. Sales of traditionally winter dishes rose sharply, with cottage pies up 110% and chicken‑and‑ham gratin and South African red wine each up 68% over the past month. Online recipe searches on the retailer’s site also jumped, showing a 91% increase for spaghetti bolognese, 67% for toad‑in‑the‑hole and 57% for macaroni cheese.

Waitrose’s senior innovation chef Stephen Parkins‑Knight described the trend as “feta fatigue”, explaining that prolonged heat leaves consumers craving rich, grounding staples such as pies, chilli and red wine to recharge after a draining day outdoors. The shift highlights how extreme weather can disrupt conventional grocery forecasting and influence consumer behaviour beyond usual summer preferences for salads and barbecues.