European household variations and cooking habits
Europe is characterised by huge cultural diversity – which is also reflected in how people live and the composition of households across the region.
For instance, northern Europe has seen a huge increase in one person and smaller households compared to more traditional countries in southern and eastern Europe.
We can see that from 4.7 million households in Sweden, around 40% live in single-person households and around 25% are co-habiting or married couples without children. On the other hand, people who live in southern and eastern Europe tend to live in larger household sizes, with various family members living under the same roof.
How do household variations affect cooking habits?
Household sizes and compositions around Europe may affect cooking habits at home. It may be that someone who lives in a single household tends to eat out more or prefers to order take-out more often rather than having to cook at home. Especially with today’s development of online food-delivery apps, which give consumers convenient access to various cuisines.
As for larger household sizes, it may be that the household is composed of many generations living together. This could have a significant impact on that household’s cooking habits. For instance, since there are more people to feed they might prefer to cook at home more often. Also, it might be the case that the grandparents are the ones in charge of home cooking. This means they might have their preference towards the choices of food to eat and might even have some traditional recipes and ways of cooking.
Why is this interesting?
Having a clear understanding of household variations in different European regions could make a difference in developing successful market penetration, product design, innovation as well as an effective communications strategy.
To know more about our experience in the food industry and how we can help, please contact Rob.