Gousto brand VP on transporting home cooks to a sustainable future
As restrictions lift in the UK, live events are back in full flow – but last year in 2020, recipe-box brand Gousto inspired people around the country to get cooking at home. Following its record-breaking year, Gousto is now hoping to transport time-poor home cooks around the globe, from their in-person events, to their own kitchens. We speak to its VP of brand, Anna Greene, to find out more.
Gousto is responding to this need for travel and adventure with the new Flavourlust campaign
When lockdown first hit in March 2020, Gousto felt the impact straight away. “In the period between March and April last year, the increase in adoption of online grocery was more than it had been in the previous twenty years,” explains Gousto’s vice-president of brand, Anna Greene. “There was even a point in April, where we had to close signups, because the demand was just too great.”
After moving to a larger factory to increase output, the rest of the year saw the brand achieve full profitability for the first time, delivering over 8m meals to homes across the UK.
Greene says that despite the hardships brought on by the pandemic, Gousto “wanted to fill a void in people’s weekly routines by offering something exciting and delicious to cook at home.”
Greene explains that as the UK eases out of lockdown, the home-cooking behaviors established during lockdown seem to have stuck. Furthermore, Greene points out that online-grocery and recipe boxes are well placed to cater to the cooking trends of the future – namely sustainability, through low food waste and plant-based diets.
However, based on the insight that after a year of lockdowns and travel restrictions over half (57%) of Brits are dreaming of escaping the UK to travel, yet up to 82% will continue to avoid any travel that requires quarantine – Gousto anticipated that people are crying out to try new dishes and recipes from across the globe. Its ‘Flavourlust’ activation, hopes to offer customers an opportunity to try those recipes for themselves.
“It’s going to be a two-day pop-up event under Hoxton Arches,” explains Greene. “The aim is to bring our limited edition street food recipes to life through an immersive experience, so within every room there will be a sensory experience of different countries and cuisines. From floating markets in Thailand, to a street party in Brazil, and we’re using music and our own dishes to transport people.”
The event follows on from Gousto’s brand platform, ‘Give it Some,’ which Greene says “is all about rolling up your sleeves and getting in the kitchen to try something different.”
“We have 60 recipes now on offer, and we’ve doubled our range of vegan and vegetarian offerings, as well as our classic recipes and now the new street food range of global cuisines.
“This event will allow us to bring a community of people together that hopefully brings our brand message to life in a fun and memorable way,” she concludes.