People are ever more likely to buy their food from specialist stores, especially greengrocers, according to new reports.

Research agency GfK told NU.nl that last year spending in greengrocers grew by almost 30% compared with 2019, while spending in butchers and fishmongers also increased by about a fifth.

Although this trend began before the pandemic and coronavirus lockdowns, a researcher told NU.nl that they seemed to have exaggerated the spending patterns.

Research director Joop Holla reportedly said: ‘It is very notable that during this crisis people really felt the need for fresh food. In supermarkets too, fresh food is considered more important, and you see this in the shops themselves where it is placed in ever more prominent positions.’

DutchNews.nl has contacted GfK to ask for a copy of its research.