Few would have thought it possible but wine buffs are heading to Asda in droves. Sales of claret soared by 46 per cent last month in just one of the seismic shifts in the shopping patterns of Middle England.

As the credit crunch bites, brand snobbery has gone out of the window as consumers load up on basics such as bread and pasta at discounters such as Aldi, pick off promotions at their local Asda before finally popping down to Waitrose for a tomato-topped cod as, well, a bit of a treat.

Mixing and matching has become the norm. Sainsbury’s has seen just as strong a rise in demand for its basic flour as Ibérico cured ham. Sales of its Gressingham duck have more than doubled, likewise its own-brand basic frozen peas.

Trading-down is taking place, as consumers seek out cheaper alternatives of their favourite meals. Yet the biggest victim of the change in behaviour is unlikely to be the supermarket.

A recent survey by the City accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that 43 per cent of people believe that they will cut back on eating out in the coming year to save money.

As food prices continue to rise, the pain will not be felt at the checkout, but at the restaurants and gastropubs farther down the high street.

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