While oysters have been traditionally known as the ‘food of love’, Waitrose has seen growing demand for mussels in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.
Compared to this time last year, searches on Waitrose.com for ‘Mussels’ were up 120% year-on-year, and are more than double the number of searches for oysters and searches for mussel recipes are up 20%. The growth is also reflected on social media, where searches for ‘mussels recipes’; ‘how to cook mussels’ and ‘garlic mussels’ on TikTok have soared over 1000% in the last week alone.
Zoe Simons, Waitrose Senior Brand Development Chef said: “With French-inspired cuisine gaining popularity and eco-conscious eating on the rise, mussels are fast becoming the go-to choice for both romantic meals and everyday cooking. If oysters are the old-school symbol of love, mussels might just be their modern rival.”
Waitrose is the first retailer to offer sustainably sourced mussels only from the Shetland Island Mussels. Available pre-packed and included in the Valentine’s Day Dine In offer as a brilliant starter option. Grown on ropes suspended in the sea, in the pristine waters of Scotland, they feed on the natural supply of plankton, growing at their own pace while helping marine life thrive.
Katie Keay, Senior Sustainability & Ethics Manager at Waitrose, said: “We’re seeing growing enthusiasm for mussels, not just for their taste but for their minimal environmental impact. Scottish rope-grown mussels have an extremely low carbon footprint. They are grown on ropes suspended from floats in the sea and feed naturally off plankton in the rich tidal flows that ensures the growth of succulent and sweet tasting mussels.”
Waitrose also sells mussels on all fish counters in-store. Compared to this time last year, sales of mussels on the fish counters has increased 5%, and searches for ‘fresh mussels’ are up 385%, with this versatile and affordable shellfish option continuing to grow in popularity.
