Finns prefer fresh foods and simple meals in the summer

A recent survey ordered by K-food stores from TNS Gallup found that, for Finnish people, the second most popular grill food after sausages is vegetables. During the summer season, every other Finn cooks grill foods at least once a week and over one third every weekend. Sausage is the most popular grill food but vegetables come a good second.

Vegetables have clearly established themselves among popular Finnish grill foods. This or last summer, 72% of Finns have grilled vegetables, 88% sausages. Making both meat and vegetable skewers is popular, while fruits are grilled for dessert. On the grill, fish is clearly not as popular as pork or beef, but more popular in other parts of the country than in the Greater Helsinki area. Pork is the most popular meat (69%) followed by chicken (59%) and beef (49%).

The most popular grilling place is the home yard, except that the 18-24-year olds most often grill at the summer cottage. In the countryside, the home yard is even more often used, whereas grilling at friends’ summer cottages is less popular. Common yard areas, recreation and camping areas are seldom used as grilling places. However, grilling is a cooking method that enjoys popularity throughout the nation, in towns and in the countryside alike.

Both men and women grill

The most dedicated grillers are the 45-54-year olds, while young people are the least enthusiastic. Men visiting friends’ summer cottages clearly grill more often than women. Otherwise men and women are equally frequent grillers. The most popular type of grill is the gas grill, with the exception of self-made and yard units more often used by young grillers.

The proportion of grilling of all cooking increases especially during the weekends. Of the 41-51-year olds, 51% grill ”in celebration of the weekend”. In case of young people, grilling is more often connected with parties and vacation.

Young people are interested in Finnish food

The biggest increase in cooking enthusiasm has taken place among the 18-24-olds (up 40%). As many as 60% of this age group have become increasingly interested in especially Finnish and Nordic foods whereas, for example, Japanese and Thai foods have lost popularity among young people. Proof of which over 50% of the young respondents said their interest in Asian foods had faded. However, the popularity of the Mediterranean cuisine remains more or less unchanged in all age groups.

Local availability important in the summer

Roughly every other Finn changes his or her food shopping place for the summer. The 45­-54-year-olds are more likely than people in the other age groups to change it. More often than the others, those in the 35-54-year age group change their shopping behaviour in favour of village stores. Village stores also become important particularly for people from the Greater Helsinki area and children. For the other age groups, hypermarkets and supermarkets become important shopping places in the summer, contrary to the rest of the year.

When compared regionally, those living in the Greater Helsinki area most often change their shopping place with not more than one third shopping at the same place in the summer and the other times of the year. Open-air markets are particularly popular in the Greater Helsinki area. Over one third of Finns living in other parts of the country also shop at open-air markets in the summer, young people less frequently than people in the other age groups.

Many respondents hoped that their village stores remain active. Customers would especially like to find local products, fresh foods and vegetables at their summer store. Plain and simple were also the most valued aspects in grilling – for the Finnish griller, good basic tastes and freshness are more important than exotic experiences.

“This kind of surveys provide us with essential information about the Finnish cuisine. Another important source are retailers and their staff who are the best experts in knowing their customers’ particular requirements and local speciality products,” says Juha Andelin, Kesko Food’s Marketing Director.

Further information:
Juha Andelin, Marketing Director, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 500 504 302
Ulla-Riikka Tapionlinna, Research Manager, TNS Gallup Ltd, tel. +358 40 727 0488

Survey details:

- The survey was conducted in weeks 21-22/2007

- The respondents included 1,066 Finns between the ages of 18 and 65

Survey findings:

- Chanterelle is by far the most popular wild mushroom among Finns. There are also many Finnish people who do not like mushrooms at all. Nearly half of the young respondents were of that opinion.

- Men clearly prefer strawberries (44%) over raspberries (15%), while women like them both equally.

- The popularity of strawberries decreases with respondent’s age. 70% of the young respondents said that the strawberry was their favourite berry, while the figure for the over 55-year-olds was only 16%. Among the latter, different berries are almost equally popular, but arctic cloudberry was mentioned more often compared with the other age groups.

42% of men and 24% of women hardly ever think about food prices

- Comparing products becomes increasingly important with age. 78% of respondents over 55 compare products otherwise than in terms of price.

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a Finnish retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers through valued products and services at competitive prices. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia.