Traditional staple foods such as white bread and pasta are disappearing off the Great British menu as people opt for trendy alternatives such as quinoa and flatbreads.
New research by Lurpak found a third of Brits say their dietary essentials have changed in recent times, with sweet potatoes, cous cous and pitta bread now commonplace.
Seven in ten have expanded the variety of food they eat and a third of British homes have introduced ingredients like olives, avocado and chorizo.
In fact, the plain white loaf may soon be toast thanks to a surge in popularity of wraps and pittas – half the study had purchased both in the last 12 months, while 30 per cent regularly buy flatbreads.
And the trend isn’t limited to breads. Six in ten haven’t served up a prawn cocktail in over a year, while one in five hasn’t had fish and chips or sausage and mash in the last 12 months. Nearly a fifth buy fewer potatoes than they used to while a quarter buy less white pasta, results showed.
Dan Lepard, one of the world’s most widely read bakers, said: “Now more than ever, people are being exposed to exciting new taste experiences from around the world and these are influencing our food choices back home.
“Our thirst for experimentation is encouraged by the variety of alternative breads, exotic foods and ingredients now available in the UK and this is helping us in our search for new flavours. With this comes a natural progression beyond traditional flavours to more adventurous tastes.
“We’ve shaken off any fear of venturing forth from the classic white sliced loaf towards the flavoursome alternatives sitting next to it on the shelf. Flatbreads, wraps, pittas and sourdough are readily available on our doorstep and are rapidly becoming the new order of the day.”
