Sales of Polish food increase 15% as workers return to the UK to find jobs

by Sean Poulter - 18/11/2009

"Demand for Polish food in Britain has risen 15 per cent compared to a year ago, suggesting that the Poles are coming back.

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Tesco has found that sales of its own range of Polish delicacies have begun to rise again following sharp annual falls last year and in early 2009.

The fall coincided with the recession which saw hundreds of thousands of Polish workers, plumbers, builders, au pairs and others, return home.

Sales of Polish foods provide a useful barometer and demonstrate that the UK is once more becoming attractive to migrants looking for work and a better quality of life.

Poles began arriving in the UK about five years ago and quickly created a strong demand for delicacies from home. By mid 2008 there were estimated to be 1.2 million living here.

But by the beginning of 2009 demand for Polish food began to wane as jobs in the UK began to dry up with the result that more than 200,000 headed home.

So pronounced is the recent increase in demand that Tesco will this week roll out 92 new Polish delicacies - the supermarket’s first dedicated food range for Poles for 18 months.

Tesco's Polish foods buyer Tomasz Zarebinski said: 'When jobs began drying up some Poles returned home in order to try and find work but many found it equally hard over there and have decided to come back to the UK.

'With unemployment currently higher in Poland than in the UK many of those who left are more hopeful of finding work over here.

'That has directly led to the first rise in demand for Polish food here for nearly a year and as a result we have now decided to extend our range.'

Among the new delicacies on offer are ready meals made by Lowicz, pate made by Drosed and pickles made by Dawtona.

There are also popular snacks such as FritoLay crisps and Grzeski Chocolate.

Included in the range is typical Polish fare such as salty sticks, white sour soup, meat balls with tomato sauce, long life milk, pates, and carrot juice.

Other popular Polish foods are golabki, flaki, fasolka, canned fish, Polish mustards, pickled vegetables, plus beer brands such as Tyskie and an energy drink called Tiger.

Flaki is a type of tripe soup made from cow's stomach, which is cut into thin strips and includes cabbage, vegetables and beef stock.

Bigos is considered Poland's national dish. The main ingredients are pickled white cabbage (sauerkraut); tomatoes, various cuts of meat, particularly pork or venison, plus sausage.

It is seasoned with pepper, caraway, marjoram, pimento, dried or smoked plubs, and red wine. Bigos is usually eaten with rye bread and potatoes and accompanied by vodka or dry white wine.

It is common to keep a pot of bigos going for a week or more, replenishing ingredients as necessary.

Tesco now sells 211 Polish food products in 563 stores across the UK.

Piotr Wachal, who lives in East London, came back to the UK after finding life in recession-hit Poland was particularly difficult.

'I went back to Poland to find work but things are a lot worse there and unemployment is rising so I returned to the UK,' he said.

'If you’re good at what you do there is still a better opportunity to get work over here than in Poland.'

More Details: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1228610/Sales-Polish-food-increase-15-workers-return-UK-jobs.html