A new survey commissioned by Weetabix has found that almost a third of UK consumers admit the Covid-19 pandemic has made them realise how important locally sourced products are to the UK economy, with 48% of Brits actively looking for locally sourced items in the supermarket.
A third of those polled say they have been more supportive of local British businesses both during and since lockdown, than ever before. More than a third do so to be more ethical in their shopping habits, whilst over two-thirds hope to support local farmers and almost half do so for healthier and fresher produce.
The survey came as Weetabix unveiled a crop circle in the British countryside during this year’s harvest to raise awareness of the value of locally produced food to the UK economy.
A further 51% believe that by ‘buying local’ they are helping the economy and 45% hope to reduce their ‘food miles’ – the distance food has travelled before it arrives at our homes.
In fact, more than a third say they check the food miles of items when shopping by looking up the country of origin, believing the benefits of buying goods with fewer food miles to be include a lower carbon footprint (64%), helping preserve UK farms (54%) and less pollution (57%).
When it comes to meals, breakfast is believed to be the dish with the least food miles behind it – possibly due to the likes of eggs, cereals and milk. A further 29% also believe fewer food miles will mean they receive healthier food and 58% think the goods will be fresher as they have travelled less.
The research also revealed:
- Items people are likely to buy which have been grown and produced in the UK were found to include butter (49%), eggs (71%) and strawberries (55%)
- Whereas the likes of teabags (22%), bananas (13%) and chocolate (19%) are believed to be difficult to purchase ‘locally’
- A further 31% feel there are limited options of local products in supermarkets and as a result, 45% of Brits would like to see the big brands sourcing local ingredients to lead the way.
The survey came as Weetabix unveiled a crop circle in the British countryside during this year’s harvest to raise awareness of the value of locally produced food to the UK economy.
Francesca Theokli, Marketing Director at Weetabix, commented: “Our study showed that more than two-thirds believe companies are not transparent enough about where their food is grown and produced. So we wanted to create this crop circle to highlight our ongoing commitment to locally sourcing the highest quality wheat from a 50 mile radius of our home in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire and help consumers make an informed choice when selecting what to have for breakfast.”
