The Middle Years: More Than Just Food Meabh Quoirin, Future Foundation

Contents  Defining Middle Years  How tomorrow’s middle aged will differ from today’s  Food trends: ► Return to Maximising ► Occasion, experiences and cultural capital ► Ethics, environment and local sourcing ► Assault on Pleasure and managing anxieties

1. Defining Middle Years

Source: European Social Survey/nVision Base: 2,000 per country aged 15+, 2007 Middle age: perceived to be 43 to 65 in the UK Average perceived ‘middle age’

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 Lifestage: children leaving home and retirement can mark the transition into old age

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 Paying off the mortgage during middle age

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 University degree: generational differences

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 "Tradition is important to him/her. He/she tries to follow the customs handed down by his/her religion or his/her family”

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2007 “Old people should not wear fashions designed for young people”

2. How tomorrow’s middle aged will differ from today’s

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB Past 6 months internet usage

Source: nVision Research Base: 895 internet users aged 15+, GB Social networking % who have communicated with someone via a social networking website in the past 6 months

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB People who need to own more things Strong or moderate need

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB “It’s more important to fit in than to be different from other people” % who agree or agree strongly

27251: Source: Future Foundation / Kellogg’s Base: 1,023 respondents 16+, 2008 Men who claim to take responsibility for preparing most of the evening meals in your house

Middle years in 10 years  People born mid-fifties to mid-seventies  Technologically savvy  Adaptable to change  Non-materialistic, into experiences  Individualistic  Gender equal

3. Food trends

3. Food trends: Return to Maximising

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 16+, UK, 2009 The middle aged are now the most concerned about the recession’s effect on their finances “How concerned are you about the effect the economic downturn is having on your personal financial situation?” (% who are quite or very concerned)

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 The group are cutting back the most on out-of- home leisure “Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 "How concerned are you about the effect the economic downturn is having on your personal financial situation?" The recession driving ‘Maximising’

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, % of 55-54s are increasingly aware of prices "I am increasingly aware of the price of goods/services" (% who agree strongly/agree)

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 “I shop around extensively to get the best deals more than I did 6 months ago”

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 The middle aged are changing their supermarket shopping habits, though not as much as the 30-44s “Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 Whereas the middle aged are adopting a ‘Waste Not Want Not’ attitude “Which of the following are you ALREADY DOING as a direct result of the economic downturn?”

“Thinking of the food you have eaten in the last 6 months, please indicate if you have done more or less of the following…” Source: Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD)/nVision Base: 1,002 respondents aged 18+, GB, 2008 Scratch cooking and meal planning

3. Food trends: Occasions, experiences and cultural capital

“Which of the following factors are important to you for a short break (1-3 nights)/ a longer holiday (4+ nights)? Consuming locally produced food or drink” Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2008 Gastro-holidaying: most popular with 45-54s

“I regularly eat food from other countries and cultures” – % who agree or agree strongly Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 Interest in foreign cuisines declines after 65

“How often do you cook for each of the following people/groups of people? Friends (other than people you live with)” Source: Masterfoods/The Future Foundation/nVision Base: 1,005 respondents aged 18+, UK, 2008 Sociable food: cooking for friends

3. Food trends: Ethics, environment and local sourcing

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB Environmental concerns are resilient “I am concerned about what I personally can do to help protect the environment” (% who agree or agree strongly) Middle years 77%

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, s are the most likely to buy Fairtrade “Which, if any, of the following have you done in the last 12 months… bought Fairtrade products?”

“I would be willing to pay as much as 10% more for grocery items if I could be sure that they would not harm the environment” – % who agree or agree strongly Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 However, willingness to pay a ‘green premium’ has softened since 2007 Middle years 29%

3. Food trends: Assault on Pleasure and managing anxieties

Source: nVision Research Base: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009 The Assault on Pleasure "Head teachers should not allow pupils to eat sweets or drink carbonated drinks on school premises“ (% who agree or agree strongly)

Source: nVision Research Base: 350 parents with eldest child under 16, GB Children’s say in choosing food, by age of parent “Thinking about your eldest child who is aged under 16, how much say do they have in choosing the following things? The food they eat in the evening”

Summary  Middle years = 45 to 65  Very different to 65+  But not that different to younger age groups  No drastic change in middle years over the 10 years  Return to maximising – considered approach to finance for the middle aged  New food experiences remain vital  Middle years consumers are green aware  Assault on pleasure is here to stay. But middle years parents remain more democratic about food