# Online Grocer-Led Cooking Shows This Waitrose YouTube Series Targets Gen Z Shoppers By Michael Hemsworth | Published 2026-06-09 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waitrose-youtube-series References: [grocerygazette](https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2026/06/08/waitrose-youtube-series-younger-shoppers/) & [waitrose](https://www.waitrose.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoobnOrelgFu5HOBqPJNkU9Bi09uN772wKAJIpPqtct-OrP0Yi6z)  This [Waitrose](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waitrose-and-disney) [YouTube](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-best-cereal) series has been announced by the grocer in the UK as a way to help capture the attention of [Gen Z consumers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kraft-heinz-3) and encourage them to give some new recipes a try. The series comes as part of the brand's strategy to catch the attention of younger shoppers, which comes in contrast to its previous focus on older and more affluent households. The series will leverage the brand's subscriber base, which is reported to be the largest of any UK supermarket. The Waitrose YouTube series comes on the heels of the brand's Food Lovers Uncut series starring Will Hughes as well as its Dish podcast that launched in 2022 with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.7/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 36% | Freshness: 78% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Grocer-led Entertainment:** Supermarkets are becoming lifestyle media publishers, creating space for shoppable cooking formats that blend recipe discovery, brand loyalty, and digital commerce. - **Gen Z Meal Inspiration:** Younger shoppers are reshaping grocery engagement through video-first food content that turns everyday ingredients into culturally relevant, easy-to-share experiences. - **Content-to-cart Commerce:** Recipe programming linked to retail ecosystems introduces a frictionless path from inspiration to purchase, disrupting traditional separation between advertising and grocery shopping. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Grocery Retail:** Traditional grocers gain new competitive leverage by using owned audiences and entertainment formats to build relevance beyond price, convenience, and store location. - **Digital Media:** Streaming and social video platforms are evolving into commerce gateways as food content becomes a measurable driver of product discovery and purchase intent. - **Consumer Packaged Goods:** Packaged food brands benefit from embedded recipe storytelling that places products inside practical lifestyle contexts rather than conventional shelf or ad placements. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Heat-and-Eat French Cuisine Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/charlie-bighams-brasserie-range.md) - [Christmas Romcom Grocer Movies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waitrose-the-perfect-gift.md) - [Consumer-Driven Grocery Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waitrose-home-of-food-lovers.md) - [Accessible Recipe Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/now-were-cooking.md) - [Social-First Gameshows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/walkers-do-us-a-flavour.md) - [Streaming Series Food Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/waitrose-and-disney.md) - [Culinary Tradition Food Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/merchant-gourmet-yes-chef-campaign.md) - [Video-First Food Ordering Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/flavrs.md) - [Festive Grocer Cooking Shows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lidl-batch-from-scratch.md)