From Zoom work lunches and face-time date nights with Deliveroo, to virtual birthday celebrations and weddings, the nation has seen new social trends emerging left, right and centre as people look to connect in new ways during the isolation period.

Curious Aussies enjoy nothing more than discovering the eating habits of their neighbours, Deliveroo has rounded-up some interesting trends that have emerged as we approach one month of lockdown, based on order data, customer insights and behaviours.

Highlight:

• Fish and chips has seen a 597% increase in orders, solidifying the British classic as the nation’s dish of choice during lockdown
• Ice cream orders have risen by 139%, with Aussies ordering sweet treats now more than ever
• Australian’s are ordering dinner earlier than before. Orders have shifted from 7:06 pm to 6:23 pm

The nation’s crisis meal

New data just in from Deliveroo has pinpointed exactly which dish Aussies are favouring during this period of uncertainty, and the result might shock you… The nation’s official crisis meal is Fish and Chips. In fact, the British classic has seen a whopping 597% rise, shooting into the top five most-searched dishes on the app.

Guilty pleasures

For those in lockdown, treating ourselves to sweet treats is on the rise, with Aussies allowing ourselves to indulge in some desserts and guilty pleasures more than we would normally. Ice cream searches are up a huge 139% and demand for Messina’s legendary cookie pies has been so frenzied that Messina is the only brand along with McDonald’s in the top 10 search terms.

The new dinner time

As more of us than ever are working from home and no longer commuting, we have seen the emergence of the “new dinner time” with the evening spike in food orders having moved forward 43 minutes. Where average orders on a weekday would usually peak at approximately 7.06 pm, this has now moved earlier, to 6:23 pm, suggesting Aussies might be daydreaming about their dinners straight after they’ve eaten their lunch.

Better together

Say hello to the supersized delivery order. With families, partners and housemates alike all bunking down for lockdown, Deliveroo has seen some of the largest household orders ever, with group meals fast overtaking single meal orders.

Big Nights Out In 

As Aussies aren’t able to put on their dancing shoes and head out on the town on Friday night, Deliveroo has seen that Fridays are now rivalling Saturdays as the most popular day of the weekend to order takeaways. It seems that Friday night at home is becoming foodie night across the country and the weekend is starting earlier where food is concerned.

Fancy a Pizza or Thai?

Based on search terms on the Deliveroo app, there has been a significant shift from customers searching for specific restaurants on the app to now searching general takeaway categories- with pizza the most searched category, followed by thai and sushi. Burgers, previously the most popular menu item for Aussies on Deliveroo in 2019, are no longer on top.

Joe Satari at Deliveroo said: “As people’s routines have drastically changed due to COVID-19, we’ve kept a close eye on customer trends and how people’s taste buds, and dining habits, have shifted during these unprecedented times. The importance of food, and sharing it with loved ones has become more important than ever before and we’re glad that Deliveroo is able to bring these little moments of joy into homes across Australia.”