London’s top foodie shopping trends revealed

The popularity of rainbow vegetables has grown, alongside milk and water alternatives, with rosé wine and Aperol standing out as the drinks of summer 2017, according to AmazonFresh.

While the majority of the top ten most popular food and drink (see below) was consistent across London and the Home Counties, there were some interesting variations in the food trends of the different London boroughs.

Area trends (photo from Google Maps)

North Londoners seem to have a love of health foods with red chillies, courgettes, sweet potatoes, broccoli and ginger all appearing much higher in their list of most ordered items than in other areas of London, perhaps linked to the popularity of vegetarian restaurants in north London.

East London dwellers can’t get enough coconut water along with protein-packed chicken, eggs and kidney beans. With Joe Wicks and his Lean in 15 series still flying high in the book charts, it’s no surprise that these ingredients are gracing the kitchen shelves.

Strawberries were the second most popular food in west London, far higher than any other area, perhaps linked to the tennis community of Wimbledon. Shoppers in the W postcodes were also the biggest buyers of almond drink than any other area.

By contrast, South Londoners were all about the dairy with Greek yoghurt, mozzarella and milk sales out-performing the rest of London.

Social media

There has also seen rises in sales of certain foods linked to social media trends, healthy eating and increasingly adventurous taste buds, according to reports from AmazonFresh.

Rainbow vegetables saw a 31 per cent increase in sales as people increasingly seek out brightly coloured foods to share online.

Courgettes were the thirteenth most ordered food across London and the Home Counties with sales of spiralisers, which turn courgettes into spaghetti strings, up more than 8,000 per cent year on year. Meanwhile, cauliflower made the list of the top most ordered items, perhaps linked to the growing popularity of cauliflower steaks.

Juicy Findings

The trend for juicing is supported by top 50 bestseller appearances for blueberries, ginger, carrots, bananas, strawberries and raspberries along with a 269 per cent year on year increase in sales of juicers on Amazon.co.uk.

The popularity of watermelon with celebrities such as Beyoncé, who recently invested in a watermelon water brand, seems to have won over the hearts of Londoners with a 145 per cent spike in sales, while pomegranate – a Kylie Jenner favourite - saw an even greater increase of 190 per cent.

Opting for Alternatives

Londoners are looking for milk alternatives with almond drinks making two appearances in the top 100 bestsellers and lacto-free milk also making the list of most ordered items. Water alternatives also saw big gains with coconut water sales tripling between December 2016 and January 2017 as customers embraced this New Year foodie trend.

In keeping with the rise of healthy eating, sales of alcohol free beer brands like Becks Blue and Brewdog’s Nanny State, and wines including Eisberg Alcohol Free Sauvignon Blanc Wine have also increased by 122 per cent.

Breakfast of Champions

The darling of social media, avocados, are the third most popular item amongst all AmazonFresh customers and along with the strong performance of eggs, spinach and sourdough, highlight how much the traditional breakfast has changed in the capital.

The top ten most ordered foods on AmazonFresh from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 were:

1. Fairtrade Ripe & Ready Bananas (5 Pack)

2. Cucumber

3. Ripe & Ready Avocados (2 Pack)

4. Mixed Peppers (3 Pack)

5. Easy Peelers Clementines (600g)

6. Semi Skimmed British Milk (4 pints)

7. Unwaxed Lemons (5 Pack)

8. Bunched Spring Onions (100g)

9. Organic Fairtrade Ripe & Ready Bananas (6 Pack)

10. Liberty Farm Large Free Range Eggs (12 eggs)

Launched in June 2016, AmazonFresh is now available in 302 postcodes across London and the Home Counties, offering customers the choice of over 180,000 items for their weekly shop.