The Enduring Power Of Print Cookbooks

Fuelled by the pandemic and the tactile pleasure of print, sales of print cookbooks continue to be strong.

Book publishing is a challenging business to be in. Bestsellers in the fiction market will come and go, with little warning as to why they became bestsellers and how long they will continue to sell. While there will always be certain genres that will get readers excited (crime, thriller, romance), there’s a constant revolving door of writers and styles that results in a rapidly changing market and unpredictable print sales.

However, one area of book publishing that has defied the fluctuating fortunes of the publishing industry is cookbooks. Despite the rise of digital cooks and bakers amassing millions of followers as they release online recipes with increasing frequency, the sales of print cookbooks remain remarkably resilient.

Indeed, many of these online chefs have turned to print to expand their fan base, using its physical presence, ease of use and sense of permanence to offer home cooks a simpler way to follow their recipes as well as an ideal gift opportunity for friends and family.

Counting The Dough

According to Publishers Association data, UK physical book revenue has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, remaining close to the four billion pound mark. As with many things, the catalyst for the success of print cookbooks over the past five years lies with the pandemic. Cookbook sales soared in the years following lockdown, and in 2021 alone, they were 42% higher than the year before – an upward trend that’s remained steady since. With restaurants closed and people confined to their kitchens, millions rediscovered a love of home cooking.

Currently riding high in the Manual charts (NielsenIQ) is Jamie Oliver’s BBQ, which sold almost 5,000 copies in the past week. For context, this is more than 90% of the top ten fiction hardbacks. Other current cookbook bestsellers include  Jane’s Patisserie Everyday by Jane Dunn, The Batch Lady Rapid Dinners by Suzanne Mulholland, and Joe Wicks’ Protein in 15, along with the ever-present Pinch of Nom series.

What they all offer are simple, easy to follow recipes that the reader can trust, with high quality levels that can be difficult to find online.

“People still want high-quality products at a time when there’s a lot of lower-quality, unvetted material out in the world,” says Jennifer Sit, editorial director at Clarkson Potter, a US publisher which specialises in cooking, design and lifestyle books. “It feels even more important to go to the sources you trust with material that has gone through a rigorous editorial process and been vetted in multiple ways.”

A World Of Flavour

As well as trust, the key to the success of print cookbooks also lies in their physicality. Their tactile nature is impossible to replicate online and something that reflects the highly tactile activity of cooking. People like to have a book they can lay out on the kitchen counter, flicking between pages for quick reference, without the need to scroll using hands covered in flour.

Print cookbooks also offer another culture to dive into, a world away from traditional British fare, with images and experiences that can transport the home cook from their kitchen to another country in less time than it takes to crack an egg.