Brits' appetite for regional flavours and convenience drives staycation rise

• A new study by online supermarket Ocado, in partnership with self-catering accommodation experts cottages.com, reveals that around two thirds of Brits (66%) intend to go on a staycation in the next 12 months.
• 3 in 5 (60%) agree that regional cuisine is a strong influence when it comes to choosing a staycation destination and nearly half (49%) seek out local fare to take home with them to extend the taste of their holiday.
• Ocado and cottages.com have teamed up to create regional tasting aisles that contain product collections inspired by the UK's most popular staycation destinations.

12th July: Research from Ocado and cottages.com has revealed that Brits are looking closer to home for their holidays this year. The study found that 2 in 5 Brits (40%) are not planning on jetting off abroad. Surprisingly, the increased popularity of the Great British staycation this summer is influenced by an appetite for regional British flavours, and this continues once we've returned home too.

The survey revealed that 66% of Brits are planning a UK break in the next 12 months and that over half (58%) agree that exploring regional British specialities is one of the main appeals of a staycation, with 1 in 3 (33%) stating it is even a deciding factor in the destination they choose. Nearly two thirds (64%) say they enjoy discovering local producers while away and nearly half (49%) say they seek out local fare to take home with them after their trip too, to extend the taste of their holiday.

We're so dedicated to eating and drinking well while on staycation, that 1 in 3 (33%) of us will spend up to 3 hours researching regional specialities before setting off. However, the convenience of cooking for ourselves is also a draw, with 53% preferring to arrange a food shop for their stay, while 40% claim that the cooking facilities at their chosen self-catering accommodation is the main influence on their booking decision - 1 in 10 respondents said access to barbeques, bar areas and pizza ovens was important.

Ocado has teamed up with cottages.com to create regional tasting aisles, inspired by the most-searched areas on the self-catering accommodation provider's website including Yorkshire, the Lake District, the West Country and East Anglia.

Showcasing local small producers, regional specialities and classic dishes from in and around the most popular British holiday regions, these make it easy to add an authentic local flavour to your weekly shop, alongside those all-important staples, and bring a taste of your holiday home.

Laura Harricks, Ocado Chief Customer Officer says: “Food and drink is such a key part of our holiday experience, so it's no surprise that so many of us are letting our taste buds take the lead when it comes to holiday-planning. We know that Ocado customers love the convenience of getting everything they need delivered in one go and discovering local producers and regional specialities too, which is why we've teamed up with cottages.com to create these regional tasting aisles. 

“We want to bring both those must-have staples and lovely local flavours right to your doorstep, whether you're setting off on a staycation, just returning from one, or simply want to eat like you're on holiday, at home.”

Richard Banks, European Performance Marketing Director at Awaze - the parent company of cottages.com says: “We know that staycations are a hit with Brits right now as over the past 12 months, we've seen in excess of 70 million direct searches for our self-catering cottage holidays. It's clear that  people are keen to explore - and taste - different parts of the UK with booking trends indicating that Brits are choosing to stay closer to home this year than ever before.

“We've collaborated with Ocado to create regional tasting aisles that reflect a taste of the UK's favourite destinations, as revealed by our site's search data. With around a quarter of bookings currently being made within four weeks of the stay, there seems to be a significant trend towards summer spontaneity with staycations clearly offering the desired flexibility and adaptability that British travellers need. We want to enhance the staycation experience, and make sure holidaymakers can truly experience the region and its unique culinary delicacies wherever in the UK they might be.”

According to the research, top of the list of British holiday food favourites is fish and chips, with 3 in 5 (62%) agreeing it's Britain's best dish. Other popular staycation flavours include scones, jam and cream (31%), ice cream (30%) and local seafood (27%), while 1 in 5 Brits voted locally brewed beer (21%) as a major draw.

Find local flavours, such as English Lakes Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream, HLS Harissa Cornish Monkfish Skewers and Lottie Shaw's Seriously Good Yorkshire Parkin Cake in the Lake District, West Country, Yorkshire and East Anglia regional tasting aisles on Ocado.com now, alongside all your staycation holiday essentials, and let summer come to you.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Ocado.com's results are based on a survey with 2,000 UK participants.

*Ocado.com currently delivers to select postcodes in these regions. Check if Ocado.com will deliver to your home or your holiday cottage using their online postcode checker before you order here: www.ocado.com/webshop/postcodeCheck.do

cottages.com press enquiries to Thissaway PR: press@thissrl.co.uk

cottages.com imagery can be found here: Dropbox

Hero shots only can be found here: Dropbox

More information on the partnership can be found here.

About Ocado Retail

Ocado.com (operated by Ocado Retail) is the world's largest dedicated online supermarket, and is a joint venture between Marks & Spencer Group and Ocado Group.

Delivering to over 80% of the UK, more than 959,000 active customers benefit from an unbeatable range of around 50,000 products (including big-name brands, more than 5,000 items from the M&S food and drink range and Ocado's Own-Range), unbeatable service with next-to-no substitutions, and the freshest produce. Every order is carefully packed in one of seven distribution centres using world-leading software and technology. Shopping is then delivered directly to customers using a network of regional spokes and fleet of delivery vans.

Ocado developed the first grocery shopping app in 2010 and continues to innovate, offering customers the best possible experience. Ocado Retail is also responsible for Zoom by Ocado, its rapid grocery delivery service.

About cottages.com:

cottages.com is the UK's leading provider of UK holiday rental homes and offers more than 21,000 places to stay across the UK. From coastal retreats to country castles, the brand is home to a number of unique, inspiring collections and helps more than 1.7 million guests and more than 200,000 pets find their perfect break every year. cottages.com is part of Awaze Vacation Rentals Ltd. - Europe's leading managed vacation rentals and holiday resorts business. For more visit www.cottages.com.