Across the adult population there has been an increase in the proportion who are cooking the majority of their meals from scratch. Just over a quarter (27%) of those who are cooking from scratch claim they have increased the frequency of this year-on-year, with only 3% claiming they are cooking less in this way. Recent research on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research sought to understand the cooking behaviour of Irish adults and what has led to changes in our cooking behaviour.
The results from the research also point to an increase in the desire to understand what is in the food we are consuming amongst the cooking population. Over half (53%) of all those who have increased the frequency of cooking from scratch claim they have done so to be sure of what is contained in the food they are eating. Indeed, there is a cohort of just under 1 in 10 (9%) Irish adults claiming they would always cook their weekday and weekend dinners from scratch, without the reliance of pre-prepared ingredients or ready-made sauces.
The 25-34 year-old age group lead the way in this regard with 15% claiming they would always prepare their meals in this way, with a further 3 in 10 (29%) claiming they would regularly prepare their meals in this fashion. Cooking meals completely from scratch is also more likely to be a weekend undertaking, where greater time for cooking is afforded to many.
At an overall level, Irish adults rate themselves quite positively when it comes to their cooking abilities, with almost two thirds (63%) rating their cooking skills as either good or very good. This figure rises to just over three quarters (76%) amongst females and is higher still amongst those aged 25-34, where almost 8 in 10 (79%) would rate their cooking as good or very good.
This eagerness to cook from scratch combined with high skill levels presents a significant opportunity for manufacturers and retailers alike to cater to these desires and widen the repertoire of products being used by these aspiring chefs.
For further insights into how Irish adults are approaching cooking, including key motivations for increases in scratch cooking and what customers want from retailers to aid their efforts in the kitchen, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research.
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