And the winners are...

The lunchtime economy might have taken a hit, but some sections of the food industry can hardly keep up with demand. Here are the winners in the new (food) world

MEAL DELIVERY KITS

Recipe box companies – whose products are the ultimate example of convenience over costeffectiveness when it comes to preparing healthy meals – have experienced a boom since March. WH Food Awards winner Mindful Chef saw customer numbers increase by 452%, as well as a 387% boost to its recently launched frozen meal line. It’s a similar story for Gousto, which sold more in the first six months of this year than in the whole of 2019. In August, the company rented a 196,000ft² chilled storage facility to help it expand to three times its current capacity by 2022 in order to meet projected demand.

THE SNACK INDUSTRY

The market research firm Kantar has reported that Brits spent roughly £19million more on biscuits than usual during a single month of lockdown. Mr Kipling products experienced an unexpected resurgence and bagged savoury snacks, such as popcorn, nuts and crisps, also saw increased sales.

For some smarter snack upgrades, head to page 44.

MEAT SUBSTITUTES

One in five people in the UK reduced their meat consumption during the pandemic, resulting in 1.8 million households buying meat-free products. Purchases of meat substitutes were up 63% on the month ending 8 August 2020, compared with the same four-week period last year, and the market is now worth £32million, according to the data insights company Nielsen. But of all the meat substitutes, it’s tofu that reigns supreme, filling trollies by an additional 87%, according to Kantar, and becoming Britain’s go-to meat alternative.