This study examined changes food and drink purchasing during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in England, and if changes varied by population subgroups.

We investigated changes in take-home food and drink purchasing and frequency of out-of-home purchasing using an interrupted time series analysis design. The start of pandemic restrictions (the intervention) was defined as 16th March 2020, when first announced in the UK.

London and the North of England.

1,245 households reporting take-home and 226 individuals reporting out-of-home purchases between January 2019 and mid-June 2020 from the GB Kantar Fast Moving Consumer Goods Panel.

The marginal mean estimate of total take-home energy purchased was 17.4% (95% CI 14.9, 19.9) higher during the pandemic restriction period compared to the counterfactual. Increases of 35.2% (95% CI 23.4, 47.0) in take-home volume of alcoholic beverages and 1.2% (95% CI 0.1, 2.4) in foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar were observed. Reductions in purchased energy from fruit and vegetables (-7.3%, 95% CI -10.9, -3.6), ultra-processed foods (-4.0%, 95% CI -5.2, -2.8), and in out-of-home purchasing frequency (-44.0%, 95% CI -58.3, -29.6) were observed. Changes in chocolate and confectionery, soft drink and savoury snack purchases levelled off over time. Changes in all studied outcomes varied by sociodemographic characteristics and usual purchasing.

Pandemic restrictions were associated with positive and negative changes in food and drink purchasing, which differed by individual characteristics. Future research should ascertain if changes persist and translate into changes in health.