Bangers are back! Brits turn to comfort food to get through the cost of living squeeze – with shepherd’s pie, macaroni cheese and Yorkshire pudding returning to household menus

• Shepherds pie, battered fish, macaroni cheese and potatoes are also on the rise  

Bangers and mash are enjoying a boom as families return to comfort eating to get through the cost of living squeeze.

At the same time, shepherd’s pie, battered fish, macaroni cheese, Yorkshire pudding and every form of spud have seen a revival.

Even peas are on the up, although there has been a fad to enjoy them smashed on toast as a substitute for more expensive avocados.

The findings come from the annual food and drink report from Waitrose. Its executive director James Bailey said its cheaper essentials range of traditional favourites had been booming. 

‘This year, food inflation has changed not only how people shop, but also how they cook and eat,’ he said.

‘Price-conscious customers have been searching for the best value; switching more to own-label, buying bigger pack sizes and looking to our promotions.’

Bangers and mash are enjoying a boom as families return to comfort eating to get through the cost of living squeeze (Stock Image) 

At the same time, shepherd’s pie, battered fish, macaroni cheese, Yorkshire pudding and every form of spud have seen a revival (Stock Image) 

According to Waitrose, people are turning to comfort foods (Stock Image) 

On diets, he added: ‘They’ve been simplifying their meal choices and becoming a little less adventurous, choosing familiar foods and recipes they find comforting.

‘Chicken Kyiv and beer battered fish are the most popular dishes in our Dine In Meal Deal.’

A survey of customers found that 32 per cent are regularly eating classic dishes such as shepherd’s pie and macaroni cheese. 

Waitrose said: ‘We’re particularly finding comfort in the spud: sales of potato side dishes are up 19 per cent, with triple cooked chips and potato dauphinoise the most sought after.

‘We also rediscovered our love of the British banger – sales of our Waitrose Essential Pork Sausages are up 34 per cent on last year.’

The report highlights how social media, such as TikTok, have driven dietary changes. In October, smashed peas on toast was declared the new ‘avocado on toast’ and Waitrose saw sales of its 725g pack of frozen garden peas rise 28 per cent over the autumn.

In terms of international flavours, the study found Italy leads the way for the store’s shoppers, ahead of Chinese and Indian.

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