Trif le revival as lockdown diners turn to 70s favourites

IN TIMES of crisis, foods from our childhood can provide a lot of comfort.

And apparently, our dish of choice is trifle – we’ve been buying mountains of the stuff during the pandemic.

Sales of packet trifle kits have risen by 738 per cent this year, compared with 2019, researchers have found.

Other 1970s dishes have had a resurgence too, according to the Co-op’s shopping trends study.

Also on the comeback list are tinned pineapple slices, up 343 per cent, custard power, up 336 per cent and tinned mandarins, up 334 per cent.

Packet jelly saw a rise of 342 per cent, canned ham by 179 per cent, pickled onions by 166 per cent, and canned corned beef at 90 per cent.

Sales of long-life milk shot up 81 per cent, at a time when shoppers were panic-buying and stocking up on panage try goods. Even powdered mash brand Smash saw sales jump by 59 per cent.

Meanwhile, in the ready meal aisles, a rise in sales of comfort food reflected the chaotic world outside.

The Co-op’s biggest-selling ready meal was chicken tikka masala, ahead of cottage pie, macaroni cheese, beef lasagne, and sausages and mash.

The survey found one in three households have been enjoying cooking from scratch, particularly the 25 to 35 range. However, it is not clear whether much of this home cooking extends beyond packet trifle and Smash. A survey of 2,000 customers also found they were buying food to last for up to ten days, compared with three days before lockdown. A shopper also bought six times as much tinned fish, as well as three times their usual amount of pulses and grains. Food psychologist Dr Christy Fergusson said: ‘During a time when people haven’t been able to spend time with family and friends, it’s no surprise they have been trying to recreate those feelings of comfort, relaxation and joy through their meals.

‘The taste of food can trigger associative memories so could explain why Brits have been turning to nostalgic desserts such as packet trifle and custard, which may remind them of fond childhood times with family and friends.’

Matt Hood, Coop’s commercial director, said: ‘ With an increase in at-home dining occasions during lockdown, customers turned to traditional recipes and pub classics to keep them comforted during the uncertain times. ‘We’ve noticed that shoppers purchased six times as much fresh meat, with pork and beef seeing the biggest uplift, as we know households were spending more time cooking from scratch. ‘Packet mixes such as instant mash potato, trifle and custard... also sold really well.’