Lockdown is raising agent in homemade success story What More

Lockdown has proved to be the raising agent in a homemade success story of a local bakeware manufacturer.
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At the start of the coronavirus pandemic What More announced a large increase in sales of its bakeware products.

At the time company bosses attributed the positive figures to the lockdown restrictions, but as the country has gone back to work sales of kitchenware products have continued to grow at an increasing rate.

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What More company director Tony Grimshaw said: "We knew that more and more people are interested in home cooking, but the lockdown restrictions have accelerated the trend. Back in April the focus was on the bakeware, but now we're seeing a wider interest covering our entire range of bakeware and kitchenware products.

Tony Grimshaw OBE with What More's popular Baker & Salt rangeTony Grimshaw OBE with What More's popular Baker & Salt range
Tony Grimshaw OBE with What More's popular Baker & Salt range

"Home baking is something you can do with your family. It's a shared activity and that's important during these times of social distancing, isolation, and loneliness. Homemade food brings people together, it makes families closer. Perhaps we'll see a return to the traditional family values of sitting round the dinner table with a home cooked meal."

What More UK isn't the only organisation to have noticed the trend. A recent national survey conducted by Britainlovesbaking.com has revealed that 71% of us are now baking more than once a week compared with just 31% before lockdown.

Back in July, trade journal The Grocer reported a 49% increase across the board in sales in the home baking category, with some individual figures far higher. Flour in particular was up by 113.2% from the previous year.

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Company bosses are predicting further increases as we approach the festive season. What More's retailers are already placing increased orders to cover the expected demand. In addition to that there's the perennial effect of the Great British Bake Off now entering its 11th season.