- Sales of nostalgic classics including SPAM®, corn beef and dried fruit surge 48%, 64% and 90% compared to this time last year
- Searches for wartime favourite recipes including bread & butter pudding, root vegetable casserole and carrot cake up 733%, 120% and 402% on Waitrose.com in the last week
- Fish and chips set to play a starring role in the celebrations, with searches for ‘fish and chips’ on Waitrose.com +175% compared to this time last year
As the VE Day celebrations draw near, a wave of nostalgia is sweeping through the Waitrose aisles. Shoppers are eagerly stocking up on classic wartime and 1940s fare, with SPAM, corned beef, and bread & butter pudding leading the charge. Alongside four days of official commemorations, people across the nation have also been encouraged to support their local fish and chip shops, a fitting tribute to those who fought, farmed, and caught fish during World War II.
Imogen Livesley, Waitrose Archivist, comments, “As the 80th VE Day anniversary approaches, we're seeing customers connect with the past by turning to the comforting familiarity of foods popular in wartime Britain. It seems the taste of history is proving a popular ingredient in commemorating the 80th anniversary, with classics like fish and chips, SPAM, and bread & butter pudding underscoring the emotional connection to this era, with food acting as a powerful vehicle for remembrance and commemoration.”
Compared to this time last year, sales for:
- SPAM Chopped Pork & Ham +48%
- Waitrose Corn Beef Slices +64%
- Waitrose Mixed Dried Fruit +90%
- Heinz Tomato Soup 44%
- Waitrose Lightly Dusted Cod +50%
- Waitrose No.1 Frozen Triple Cooked Chips +82%
- Shortbread Fingers +79%
Compared to this time last year, searches on Waitrose.com for:
- ‘SPAM’ +199%
- ‘Corn beef’ +119%
- ‘Mixed dried fruit’ +416%
- ‘Fish and chips’ +175%
- ‘Shortbread’ +174%
Over the last week, recipe searches on Waitrose.com for:
- Bread & pudding pudding +733%
- Root vegetable casserole with herb dumplings +120%
- Carrot cake + 402%
- Vegetable soups +50%
- Shortbread fingers +100%
