An independent survey of 1,000 respondents found that there was indeed a keen interest in donning an apron and turning up the heat – especially since the lockdown.
Ninety-three percent of those interviewed enjoy experimenting with new recipes and most said that TV shows such as MasterChef influenced their cooking habits. 90% said they were cooking more home-cooked meals since the beginning of lockdown two years ago.
“The start of lockdown sparked a passion in trying new recipes as people had to stay home and were unable to visit their favourite restaurants. We initially went through the baking craze but noticed an appetite among customers experimenting with different fresh foods,” says Andrew Mills, group executive of marketing at Pick n Pay.
The general pattern is to try new recipes weekly (30%) or whenever inspiration hits (30%), followed by once or twice a month (24%). Nearly one in ten of the survey’s respondents said they experiment with new recipes daily.
The survey revealed that the most common motivation for experimenting with new recipes is the desire to improve one’s cooking skills (32%). The next most popular reason is wanting to try new dishes or food (26%). Another popular reason is the desire to make delicious food for friends and family (18%). The remaining 11% just want to escape the humdrum of repeatedly cooking the same thing.
“While visiting a restaurant is always a treat, it seems South Africans do agree that nothing beats a delicious home-cooked meal, especially when shared with family and friends,” says Mills.
