Top five food and drink items in the UK

What’s your favourite food? 

The UK has seen the introduction of new foods and snacks from across the world over the years, leaving us spoilt for choice as to which one is our favourite.

There are certain foods that we can’t live without. Although I’m fond of mixing up my diet and providing variety for it to be healthy, there are certain foods I buy and that, across a month, I find myself buying more often than not.

When faced with the question of “what food could you not live without?” there’s never an easy answer. 

So Snowshock, an ice cream equipment supplier, analysed the UK’s favourite food and drink items to reveal which ones are actually the most profitable for business owners – and in this week’s newsletter we decided to share with you the top five foods and drinks. 

Number One: Alcoholic drinks

No surprise here. It’s no secret that the UK enjoys a drink. Google search trends (dating back to 2017) for ‘alcohol’ related terms experienced numerous spikes, all of which are in December. The most obvious assumption for these spikes are around Christmas celebrations. 

The most popular searched type of alcohol is beer and then wine. 

Number Two: Vegetables

Surprisingly given the perception of vegetables, it appears the nation as a whole is showing an increasing appreciation for vegetables over the years.

Data here shows that in April 2017, searches for vegetables stood at 225,500. Fast forward to April 2020, 562,500 searches on Google for vegetables were found. The flexitarian diet could be responsible for this increase too, with more people opting to try the choice of foods available around this lifestyle.

As for the most searched for vegetables, asparagus seems to be an increasingly preferred choice then broccoli and, finally, carrots.

Number Three: Chocolate

We all love a sweet treat every now and again, and chocolate tends to be the go-to option for many. Although chocolate is a treat that is enjoyed all year round, google search trends highlight which parts of the year seem more popular to indulge in chocolate — the Christmas season being a key contributor.

In December 2017, searches for chocolate spiked at 205,100, with dark chocolate accounting for 12,100 of these searches alone. Fast forward to December 2019, searches for chocolate increased to a staggering 293,200. Most recently however, the biggest spike in chocolate occurred in April 2020, equating to 421,000 searches, a key comfort during lockdown.

Between 2014 and 2019, the number of people deciding to take up a vegan lifestyle is found to have quadrupled. As a result, searches for ‘vegan chocolate’ also increased by an escalating amount from 6,600 in September 2016, to 60,500 in December 2019. 

Number Four: Energy drinks

Although energy drinks have been a popular source for the day to day boost we need, searches on Google represent a gradual increase during the last three years, from the lowest point of 63,580 searches in December 2017, to the highest of 243,400 in May 2020.

Number Five: Snacks

Of course. One recent anomaly appeared in May 2020, where searches spiked at 214,500- again, perhaps due to us spending more time inside and ultimately having more time to indulge into our favourite treats.

Crisps appear to be an increasingly popular snack, with searches for them increasing from 12,100 in April 2017, to 60,500 in April 2020. As for snacks from around the world searches for nachos increased from 18,100 in April 2017, to 49,500 in May 2020. The UK’s snack preferences have been influenced by American culture too, and in recent years searches for beef jerky increased from just 5,400 in December 2016, to 14,800 in June 2020.

So there you have it, the top five food and drink. They appear in some form in every weekly grocery shop done and eating them makes people feel happy, safe and secure. 

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