Ahead of next weeks celebrations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which mark the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945, Waitrose said it saw a rise in sales of nostalgic British foods.

It said sales of wartime fare, including SPAM® and corn beef, had risen 48% and 64% respectively compared to this time last year. Searches for Great British dishes were also up across it site, with fish and chips and shortbread searches up +175% and +174% compared to the same period in 2024.

Meanwhile recipe searches for 1940s classics on Waitrose.com had also surged, with searches for bread and butter pudding up +733% year-on-year and a +402% increase in customers looking up carrot cake recipes.

“As the 80th VE Day anniversary approaches, we’re seeing customers connect with the past by turning to the comforting familiarity of foods popular in wartime Britain,” Imogen Livesley, Waitrose Archivist, commented.

“It seems the taste of history is proving a popular ingredient in commemorating the 80th anniversary, with classics like fish and chips, SPAM, and bread & butter pudding underscoring the emotional connection to this era, with food acting as a powerful vehicle for remembrance and commemoration,” she added.