The UAE may soon be in need of its own home-baking reality TV show, considering the number of budding chefs that appear to be honing their skills in the kitchen while staying at home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
According to food-delivery platform Talabat, orders of baking-related ingredients have spiked in recent weeks.
The company's Daily by Talabat service, which delivers groceries and essential items in Dubai, has reported a 2,400 per cent increase in demand for butter and margarine in the past month.
Talabat figures also showed a 1,700 per cent jump in deliveries of milk, as well as a whopping 3,400 per cent increase in orders of cocoa powder.
Talabat, which operates in the GCC and Jordan, is known for delivering orders from chain and independent restaurants. It launched Daily by Talabat in the UAE earlier this year, and extended the service's operating hours this month in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the Emirates, the app offers free, 30-minute delivery of a range of groceries 24/7, within a radius covering around 50 per cent of Dubai.
The company also said that tomatoes, onions, oranges and milk are now its best-selling items, overtaking energy drinks and bananas.
"Many people have a lot more time to spare at home currently, so it makes sense that they are trying their hand at being healthier, or becoming the next culinary whiz," says Ali Aldamanhori, general manager for Daily by Talabat UAE.
"Moreover, our data shows that customers have pivoted a lot to safety as well, which comes as no surprise. Demand for masks, gloves and sanitisers have risen by 2,000 per cent, clearly signalling that safety still remains front and centre for the community."
