Australia’s lockdown food habits revealed

Deliveroo has revealed that our eating habits have changed dramatically during lockdown, with trends emerging as people look to connect in new ways during isolation. The food delivery service has released findings about our lockdown food habits based on order data, customer insights and behaviours. And they reveal some interesting developments.

Prior to lockdown, the app’s most-popular menu item was burgers. But since COVID, a new “crisis meal” has emerged: fish and chips. The UK classic has seen a whopping 597 percent increase in orders. It’s now shot up into the app’s top five most-searched dishes.

A new dinner time

Sweet treats are more popular than ever, with ice cream orders rising by 139 percent. Demand for Messina’s legendary cookie pies has been so great that Messina is the only brand, along with McDonald’s, in the top 10 search terms.

A new dinner time has also emerged, as more people than ever are working from home and not having to commute. The delivery app has seen the evening spike in food orders moving forward by 43 minutes. Average dinner orders on a weekday would usually peak at approximately 7:06 pm; this has now moved to 6:23 pm.

We’re also ordering for the household more. While most orders were previously for single meals, in the past few weeks Deliveroo has seen some of the largest household orders ever. Group meals have fast overtaken single meal orders. And, as people are no longer able to head out on the town on Friday nights, Fridays are now rivalling Saturdays as the most popular day of the weekend to order takeaway food.