‘The new ketchup’? How hummus spread beyond a niche into a British staple

News that chickpea dip is to join list of products used for UK inflation basket confirms its move into the mainstream

• The best (and worst) supermarket hummus tasted and rated

It is a sign of the times. This week it was revealed that hummus is joining the list of foods used to measure the cost of living in Britain as the ubiquity of the dip at mealtimes sees it billed as the “new ketchup”.

The decision to drop a pot of hummus in the inflation basket is a moment for the all-conquering chickpea dip, which arrived on supermarket shelves on the late 1980s. Since then Britons have gone from spending virtually nothing to £170m a year on the versatile stuff.