Page 51 - Baking Europe Journal - Winter 2022

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
PANDEMIC CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR 51

KNEADING TO RELAX?

The rise of baking bread during the pandemic

Written by:

Professor Charles Spence

Head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory, University of Oxford

here can be little doubting also be sensory, for the increased be pointed out that home baking,
that the global Covid pandemic popularity of home bread-making more generally, has also been on the
had a signifi cant eff ect on our during the pandemic in particular. rise (as it were), in recent years in the
food preferences, at least in the UK. Though, in the latter case, this
e
short-term. In fact, one of the most To put the change in consumer likely has as much to do with the
noticeable changes reported during behaviour into some kind of phenomenal popularity of The Great
the early stages of the national perspective, a survey of more than British Bake-Off TV show, as it does
lockdowns in 2020, especially here in 1,000 people from across Switzerland with the nation’s response to the
the UK, was the sudden rise in home reported in an article published in pandemic itself.
bread-making. Sales of smaller bags Baking Europe recently, revealed that
a
of fl our (i.e., for independent use the largest self-reported change in At the same time, however, it is
rather than for use in a bakery) people’s consumption behaviour important to note that baking bread
surged, while shoppers fearing concerned homemade bread.* at home may also serve a more
shortages were also reported to have Consumers were asked how their symbolic function, given its long
been stockpiling items such as tinned behaviour had changed during the history as one of the nation’s staple
tomatoes, pasta, and beans. b fi rst lockdown, which took place foods. It can, after all be seen as
f
Psychologists have put forward an between March 13 and April 26 , signifying one’s ability to produce
th
th
explanation for the panic buying (e.g., 2020; 43.2% of those questioned food to help support one’s family. The
of foods such as pasta, though also suggested that they ate more documented rise in the popularity of
toilet rolls) in terms of evolutionary home-made bread, as compared to bread-making courses during the
theories of foraging. Ultimately, only 5.8% saying that they consumed pandemic can also be seen as
c
however, there are likely to be a less (the remainder reporting no off ering something of an antidote to
number of explanations, both change in their pattern of bread the stresses and strains of day-to-day
psychological and symbolic, that may consumption). Of course, it should life, with some going as far as to
d

“Baking bread at home may also serve a more

symbolic function, given its long history as one of

the nation’s staple foods.”

BAKINGEUROPE Winter 2022/2023
www.bakingeurope.com