Avocados And Berries Top Valentine’s Day Fruit Shopping For At-Home Dining

UK consumers are shifting to home-cooked meals and dine-in deals for Valentine’s Day this year, with fruits, especially avocados and berries, among the key basket drivers for friends and couples planning a home-centred occasion from breakfast through dinner. 

Valentine’s Day spending is forecast to rise by 12% to £1.6bn in 2026, according to shopper marketing agency Savvy, and consumers are choosing to stay at home to avoid busy restaurants and to cut costs.

Two thirds of adults (65%) are planning to cook dinner at home this weekend, new data from Ocado Retail shows, while over half (54%) are making breakfast or brunch.

Ocado’s delivery and basket data mirrors these shopper intentions with strong growth recorded around Valentine’s Day as an occasion, the online retailer said in a press release. 

Ocado’s Valentine’s shopping deliveries planned for 13 February and 14 February are up nearly a quarter (23%) year-on-year, and over a third (36%) year-on-two-year. 

Popular items in baskets for delivery between 13 February and 15 February include M&S British daffodils, salmon fillets, sourdough bread, and fruits, Ocado noted. 

Brunch-focused baskets are being driven by avocados, blueberries, strawberries, Scottish oak-smoked salmon slices, and crumpets, pointing to weekend staples across the day. 

Traditional Gifts Remain Popular

Strawberries have long been associated with Valentine’s Day due to their vibrant red colour and symbol of love. 

Popular breakfast and brunch ingredients, berries and avocados appeal to consumers for their heart-healthy properties too.

Flowers, meanwhile, remain a popular traditional Valentine’s Day gift choice. 

Searches on Ocado.com for roses have increased 126% year-on-year, with strong increases also seen for flowers (+73%), chocolate boxes (+41%), and Valentine’s chocolate (+37%). 

Ocado said consumers are balancing indulgence and value, with two thirds planning at least one premium treat, and three fifths cooking an elaborate meal. 

Almost two thirds are carefully planning their spending to make the day special yet affordable, the research found.

Image: Ocado

Consumers Are Celebrating More At Home

Almost half (49%) of the 938 UK adults surveyed by Clarity on behalf Ocado say they are opting for a dine-in deal or ready meal for Valentine’s Day 2026.

The poll reflects a growing preference for celebrating in rather than eating out as friends and couples increasingly plan breakfast, brunch, and dinner at home.

More than half (54%) say they are doing so to avoid busy cafés and restaurants, and the same proportion cite saving money as a key motivation.

“Many of our customers are choosing to stay in this Valentine’s Day, opting for convenience by making the most of our extensive restaurant-at-home range,” explained Dan Elton, Chief Customer Officer at Ocado Retail. 

“Our data shows that as well as the classic Valentine’s Day dinner, many are also planning a special brunch since the day falls on a weekend this year. These shifts reflect the growing appetite for flexible and convenient options that allow customers to create special moments at home.”