As national lockdown swept across the UK in March 2020, restaurants, cafes, and pubs were placed in a precarious position. With the hospitality industry coming to a halt, businesses were forced to adapt. Many restaurants that usually catered to eat-in diners were now delivering food straight to people’s homes through using apps such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats. 

 

Along with many restaurants adopting home delivery, there was also a rise in high-speed grocery deliveries with companies such as Getir, Weezy’s and Gorillas becoming increasingly popular. These high-speed start-ups bring groceries straight to your door in just 10 to 15 minutes, simply by placing your order through an app. This explosion of convenience culture is receiving mixed responses.  One criticism is that communities are no longer supporting our local shops and businesses, many of which played a crucial role in supplying us with food during the pandemic. Perhaps it has become all too simple to use an app rather than walking to your local corner shop. All these apps are both convenient and alluring, what is the real price we are paying? Are we isolating ourselves from our local community and our local businesses in Hillingdon?

 

However,  for many people, grocery deliveries became a lifeline during Covid-19. For people with chronic illnesses or who suffered from health anxiety during the pandemic, leaving the house to do their food shop was not an option. Home deliveries have also benefited people with caring responsibilities who may not have the time to go to the shops.

 

But what does the future really look like for the super speedy delivery? Are they just another lockdown trend or are they here to stay? Other trends that have been popularised over lockdown have included an increase in home cooking and baking. The past two years have revealed that  perhaps deep down, the UK, is a nation of bakers, with banana bread and sourdough loaves carving a rightful place into our cooking repertoire. 

 

As the UK returns to ‘normal’ or what is perhaps more accurately ‘the new normal, what cooking and buying trends will stay? Do companies such as Gorillas and Getir really have the potential to change how we purchase our food? And will our love of cooking and baking continue to grow as we return to this new normality?

 

Hillingdon Food Stories Project is exploring how Hillingdon’s resident's shopping and cooking habits changed over the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’d like to take part in an informal interview with the Hillingdon Food Stories project, please email hillingdonfoodstories@gmail.com.