Brits live the ‘Good Life’ in their gardens
Following recent news that the cost of the average family food shop has risen by £260 a year, new research by HSBC reveals that a significant proportion of Brits are using their gardens to help stock their cupboards.
The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that with inflation on food running at 6.5%, a third (33%) of Britons are turning to their gardens to provide a sustainable, cheaper and organic alternative to supermarket bought produce.
One in three Brits (31%) now have fruit trees or bushes in their garden, over a quarter have a vegetable patch (27%) and a fifth have a herb garden (22%). Three per cent of Britons even keep livestock in their garden, choosing to use their own chickens to lay eggs. The findings come as new data reveals that the volume of retail food sales has fallen by 4.2% in the past year.
The trend for growing your own peaks between the ages of 55 and 64; 40% of people in this age group say they use their garden for growing their own fruit and vegetables compared to just 16% of people aged under 25. While a vegetable patch (31%) and herb garden (28%) are most popular among the 55-64 year old age group, those a decade younger (45-54) are most likely to favour fruit trees and bushes (35%) while those aged between 35-44 are most likely to own livestock such as chickens (5%).
Perhaps inspired by the exploits of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage project in Dorset, people in the South West are most likely to be living the ‘Good Life’ in the UK. The region has the largest proportion of people with fruit trees and bushes (41%), vegetable patches (37%) and herb gardens (28%).
Highlighting the popularity of the idyllic ‘Good Life’ lifestyle made famous by fictional characters Tom and Barbara Good in the 1970s TV show, coupled with the increased modern day concern over what is in our food and where it came from, fruit and vegetable producing plants (39% and 41% respectively) were only bettered by a swimming pool (43%) as the features Britons most want in their ideal garden.
Top 5 Features Brits want in their Ideal Garden
1. Swimming Pool (43%)
2. Vegetable Patch (41%)
3. Fruit Trees (39%)
4. Water Feature (32%)
5. Shed (30%)
Bruno Genovese, Head of Savings at HSBC comments:
“With the rising cost of living, many families are seeing their disposable income being squeezed and are seeking alternative meaning of saving money. There is a modern focus on organic food, which coupled with the climate of austerity means that growing your own has become increasingly popular. It is no surprise then that items associated with self sufficiency such as fruit trees and vegetable patches also rate highly on the list of features Britons want in their ideal garden.”