While oysters are traditionally known as the “food of love”, UK retailer Waitrose says it has seen growing demand for mussels in the run up to this year’s Valentine’s Day.
Once overlooked in favour of premium seafood, mussels are now a sought-after choice for home cooks and chefs alike, with many embracing the shellfish as an easy, healthy and sustainable choice to alternative seafood favorites, the John Lewis Partnership company said.
Compared to the same period of last year, Waitrose.com has experienced a 120% increase in searches for “mussels”, while mussel recipe searches have climbed 20%. The surge is also reflected on social media, where searches for “mussels recipes”; “how to cook mussels” and “garlic mussels” on TikTok have soared over 1,000%.
“With French-inspired cuisine gaining popularity and eco-conscious eating on the rise, mussels are fast becoming the go-to choice for both romantic meals and everyday cooking. If oysters are the old-school symbol of love, mussels might just be their modern rival,” Waitrose Senior Brand Development Chef Zoe Simons said.
Meanwhile, Waitrose said it has become the first retailer to offer sustainably sourced mussels from Shetland Island Mussels.
Waitrose Senior Sustainability & Ethics Manager Katie Keay said: “To meet this demand, Waitrose has launched the No.1 Moules Marinière as part of its Valentine’s dine-in range. The dish features Shetland Island mussels in a chardonnay, wild garlic, double cream, and fire-roasted leek sauce – a decadent yet sustainable choice for couples looking to elevate their date-night dining.”
“We’re seeing growing enthusiasm for mussels, not just for their taste but for their minimal environmental impact. Scottish rope-grown mussels have an extremely low carbon footprint. They are grown on ropes suspended from floats in the sea and feed naturally off plankton in the rich tidal flows that ensures the growth of succulent and sweet tasting mussels.”
Waitrose also sells mussels on all fish counters in-store. Compared to this time last year, sales of mussels on the fish counters have increased 5%, and searches for “fresh mussels” are up 385%.
