Move over BBQs, Brits want soup and shepherd's pie as summer dishes lose appeal amid heatwave

The UK heatwave has resulted in Brits experiencing the hottest summer on record, prompting many of us to take advantage of the dry weather and fire up the BBQ countless times.

But you can have too much of a good thing, it seems.

New data has revealed that Brits are bored of summer food, and are now hankering after autumnal flavours. Searches for braising steak has risen by 47%, diced beef by 33% and, most surprisingly, soup by 26% in recent weeks, Ocado has revealed.

Shepherd’s pie searches have also increased by a third.

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Summer salads are being swapped for autumnal root vegetables with fresh cauliflower up by a whopping 180%, parsnips up by 42%, swede up by 31%, leeks up by 19% and butternut squash up by 15%.

But that's not all. With 135 days to go until Christmas, people are clearly planning to stock their freezers now with an increase in online shoppers searching for Brussels sprouts (32%) and pigs in blankets (47%).

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Despite the high temperatures, the ingredients for a roast are in demand with the data revealing a 48% uplift in searches for beef gravy, 37% for Yorkshire puddings, 36% for roast potatoes and 27% for beef joint.

When it comes to puds, shoppers are now passing on ice cream and instead craving crumble with searches of the British classic climbing by 42%.

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Red wine is the tipple of choice with searches up by 11% - but it's pomegranate juice, known for its many health benefits due to being rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, that's the most popular drink of the moment.

"It's clear that the nation has simply had enough of the heat," says Lisa McDowell, brand director at Ocado Retail. "While we’d expect Brits to be ordering salads and eating al fresco, Ocado’s real-time insight into our customers’ searches indicates that they’re longing for cosier nights and hot, home-cooked meals.”