Waitrose first stocked hummus in Britain in the 1980s.
At that time, hummus was still a relatively unfamiliar supermarket food in Britain, and stores often used the spelling “houmous”. Waitrose’s early adoption helped introduce the chickpea-and-tahini dish to shoppers before it became a standard chilled dip.
The dish itself is much older than its British supermarket history. Hummus is a Levantine and Middle Eastern preparation made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. It is commonly served with pita bread, as part of a meze or alongside other dishes.
The 1980s date refers to its appearance in British supermarket retail, not the invention of hummus. Written recipes resembling hummus appear in medieval Middle Eastern cookbooks, including a 13th-century Syrian cookbook. British popularity expanded later through restaurants, cookbooks and chefs such as Claudia Roden, Yotam Ottolenghi and Anissa Helou.