Over two thirds of Australians are now saying they love to cook, compared to last year when less than half of Aussies said they loved to cook, states a recent report released by the vegetable industry.

“We have seen a significant increase in the number of Australians who have a new found passion for cooking and it’s great to see more people getting into the kitchen to cook healthy home meals,” said AUSVEG Senior Communications Officer Courtney Burger.

AUSVEG is the national peak industry body representing the interests of over 9,000 Australian vegetable and potato growers.

“The report states that 67 per cent of consumers now say they love to cook, whereas this time last year it was only 49 per cent of Aussies who shared the same enthusiasm.”

“One fact which has remained the same over the last year is that more women still prefer to cook than men. This seems to be reflective of who does the majority of food shopping and cooking in most households,” said Miss Burger.

Supermarkets and retailers may cater for this trend by offering more innovative products in store which make home cooking easier, such as portioned packaged vegetables or pre-peeled potatoes.

“People who said they loved to cook spend around $30 a week on fresh fruit and vegetables, which is about $5 more than those Aussies who don’t really enjoy making home meals.”

“The popularity of cooking shows such as Masterchef has really driven a renaissance in people’s love for taking the time to prepare food in the home, with growers reporting large spikes in demand from supermarkets after vegetable varieties featured on the hit TV show,” said Miss Burger.

The report: Veginsights The Market Q1 2011, has been produced as part of the Vegetables Industry Development Program (VIDP) to analyse trends in consumer behaviour, advertising and marketing.

“We are so lucky in Australia to have an abundance of amazing, fresh and delicious produce right at our fingertips. AUSVEG encourages everyone to get into the kitchen to cook up a meal and make use of the fantastic veggies available to us all,” said Miss Burger.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Courtney Burger – Senior Communications Officer, AUSVEG Phone: (03) 9822 0388, Mobile: 0439 784 890, Email: courtney.burger@ausveg.com.au