Waitrose saw a surge in French charcuterie meat sales last week, a trend it suggested was led by shoppers watching the Tour de France.
Sales of French hams and salamis were up over 10% while French cheeses such as brie, blue d’affinois, and époisses all saw notable rises. French-branded olives even saw sales grow 60%.
“We are seeing customers become more creative with their charcuterie boards, going beyond meats and cheeses and adding in other antipasti items such as olives, fruits, and pickles,” said Hayley Bland, Waitrose’s world deli buyer.
“French Lucques Olives are a speciality of the Languedoc region, a location on the Tour De France route, and are known for their subtle, nutty flavour.”
The Tour de France is due to finish in Paris this Sunday and Waitrose believes many Brits will be taking the opportunity to host themed nights with a spread of French meats and cheeses.
Sarah Miness, a prepacked and speciality cheese buyer at Waitrose, said France’s reputation for subtle blue cheeses means it can be “great as part of a spread, because they offer a delicious depth of flavour, without overpowering other flavours on the board”.
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