The Food Lovers' Edit: August
Move over brioche
Milk buns have officially claimed the crown as this summer’s ultimate bakery staple, driven by viral social media trends and London’s booming restaurant and café scene. Thanks to the popularity of Japanese-style shokupan and smash burger culture, shoppers are eager to recreate restaurant-quality meals at home, driving Waitrose.com searches for 'Japanese milk buns' up by a staggering 617% and boosting Waitrose Milk Bun sales by 27% over the last month.
Waitrose collaborates with National Geographic CreativeWorks
Waitrose has teamed up with National Geographic CreativeWorks to launch a two-part YouTube series which premiered on 19 August. Filmed at Waitrose’s own Leckford Estate, the series features National Geographic Explorer and photographer Matthieu Paley as he explores the groundbreaking 'Farming for Nature' programme—an initiative supporting 2,000 British farmers in transitioning to nature-friendly practices.
Welcome back Waitrose Petersfield and Waitrose Jesmond!
As part of Waitrose's £1bn nationwide estate transformation, both the Petersfield and Jesmond branches reopened this month following multi-million-pound refurbishments. The Petersfield store features modernised service counters, a dedicated John Lewis Click and Collect desk, and a new dry-aged beef cabinet while Jesmond is showcasing an updated bakery and beer, wine, and spirits section, alongside an improved layout for fresh produce. Both upgraded branches feature energy-efficient refrigeration as well as electronic shelf labels to give partners more time to focus on customer service.
What’s new at Waitrose?
Celtic following
Waitrose shoppers are embracing Celtic cuisine as searches for Welsh staples surge. On Waitrose.com, traditional favorites like Welsh Rarebit (+225%) and Cawl (+107%) have seen a surge in interest, while leek sales have climbed 11% as home cooks pivot toward slower, scratch-made cooking. This trend extends beyond classic recipes to elevated twists, with searches for Rarebit mac 'n' cheese skyrocketing by 829% and Rarebit cottage pie jumping 350%.
Waitrose wins big in the Great Taste Awards
Nine products won two stars, and 24 products have won one star in the 2026 Great Taste Awards.
Some of our two star winners included:
⭐⭐No.1 Black Garlic Chorizo with Wildflower Honey
⭐⭐No.1 Cacio e Pepe Straws
⭐⭐Angela Hartnett with Waitrose Brutti ma buoni
Some of the other one star winners included:
⭐Leckford & Hampshire Honey
⭐No.1 Free Range Dry Aged Pork Rib Rack
⭐No.1 Mascarpone & Sicilian Lemon Ice Cream
⭐Duchy Organic Multigrain Focaccia Thins
Hero Product of the Month: Waitrose No.1 Blackberries
Plump, glossy, and bursting with rich berry sweetness, Waitrose No.1 Blackberries capture the very best of British fruit at peak season. Hand-picked at optimum ripeness by our expert growers, these exceptional berries deliver a remarkably juicy texture and a refined balancing tang that sets them apart. Enjoy folded into a warm autumnal crumble, scattered over No.1 Greek yoghurt, or straight from the punnet with a drizzle of fresh double cream.