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

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/nVisionBase: 2,000 per country aged 15+, 2007

Middle age: perceived to be 43 to 65 in the UKAverage perceived ‘middle age’

Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB, 2009

Lifestage: children leaving home and retirement can mark the transition into old age


Paying off the mortgage during middle age


University degree: generational differences


"Tradition is important to him/her. He/she tries to follow the customs handed down by his/her religion or his/her family”


“Old people should not wear fashions designed for young people”

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

Source: nVision ResearchBase: 1,200 respondents aged 15+, GB

Past 6 months internet usage

Source: nVision ResearchBase: 895 internet users aged 15+, GB

Social networking% who have communicated with someone via a social networking website in the past 6 months


People who need to own more thingsStrong or moderate need


“It’s more important to fit in than to be different from other people”% who agree or agree strongly

27251:

Source: Future Foundation / Kellogg’sBase: 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 ResearchBase: 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)


The 30-44 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?”


"How concerned are you about the effect the economic downturn is having on your personal financial situation?"

The recession driving ‘Maximising’


89% of 55-54s are increasingly aware of prices"I am increasingly aware of the price of goods/services" (% who agree strongly/agree)


“I shop around extensively to get the best deals more than I did 6 months ago”


The middle aged are changing their supermarket shopping habits, though not as much as the 30-44s



Whereas the middle aged are adopting a ‘Waste Not Want Not’ attitude


“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)/nVisionBase: 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”


Gastro-holidaying: most popular with 45-54s

“I regularly eat food from other countries and cultures” – % who agree or agree strongly


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/nVisionBase: 1,005 respondents aged 18+, UK, 2008

Sociable food: cooking for friends

3. Food trends:Ethics, environment and local sourcing


Environmental concerns are resilient“I am concerned about what I personally can do to help protect the environment” (% who agree or agree strongly)

Middle years77%


55-64s 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


However, willingness to pay a ‘green premium’ has softened since 2007

Middle years29%

3. Food trends:Assault on Pleasure and managing anxieties


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 ResearchBase: 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

Documents

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