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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] The recession that saved home cooking
  • Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:51:00 -0700


Now that you mention cooking skills ...


The recession that saved home cooking
Restaurants are struggling as families eat at home to save money. Is the
neglected art of home cooking in for a renaissance?
http://www.theweek.com/article/index/94909/The_recession_that_saved_home_cooking

Restaurants are struggling as families cut back on dining out to save money
in a sour economy. Grocery store sales are doing fine, though, as people load
up on fixings for meals at home. Is the neglected art of home cooking in for
a renaissance?

How badly are restaurants doing?

They’re holding on—barely. Restaurant outings fell 3 percent in 2008 from the
previous year, according to market researcher NPD Group. Worse still, visits
by young adults ages 18 to 24—the most lucrative restaurant market—fell by 8
percent. (The Boston Globe) P.F. Chang’s China Bistro reported that
same-store sales at its restaurants fell by 7.1 percent in the fourth quarter
of 2008. So people are eating more at home, but that doesn’t mean they’re
settling for TV dinners. (The Wall Street Journal)

How’s that?

In the last recession, families cut back by foregoing restaurants, and buying
frozen meals at the grocery store. But this time people are buying
ingredients and cooking from scratch rather than buying ready-made meals,
said food industry consultant Dr. Liz Sloan of Sloan Trends. “We have the
highest level of in-home cooking in the United States since 1992.” (New
Orleans Times Picayune)

Are they cooking budget meals?

Not necessarily. Remember, this is a nation where 2.9 million foodies tune in
to each episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Many people accustomed to dining out
frequently are pumping the savings into better cookware, even cooking
classes. Revenue at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education jumped by 15
percent in the last year as the economy tanked. (The Boston Globe) Non-credit
culinary class enrollment jumped by 10 percent last year at Schoolcraft
College in Livonia, Mich. (Hattiesburg American)

So does that mean a new era of gourmet home cooking?
Much as they would like, many families will eventually have to settle for
simple home cooking. Consumer spending on food is inching down as people
trade down to lower-priced ingredients. And, according to AllianceBernstein
economist Joseph Carson, another reason spending is down is that families
have been raiding their own cupboards to avoid trips to the store. “You can't
contract at this rate for long," Carson said. "It's just shocking." (The Wall
Street Journal)





  • [Livingontheland] The recession that saved home cooking, Tradingpost, 11/08/2009

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