This has been due to strong premiumisation, with more, higher value products being introduced. The consumer is increasingly demanding products that deliver on taste and quality, but above all health.
Hot cereal, with 12% of the market, saw strong growth until 2006 driven by growing consumer interest in oats, and their reported health benefits, including keeping you fuller for longer, and better heart health.
For those consumers who don’t find a bowl of cereal convenient enough, Weetabix, Kellogg’s, Jordans and other cereal suppliers have established cereal bar variants to meet the needs of those wanting breakfast on the go.
The lack of time available in the morning for many of us means the traditional cooked breakfast is now reserved for a weekend treat. The increased popularity of premium products bought for breakfast is an important factor in sausages, bacon and deli meats’ 5.2% growth to £3.9bn since 2007. With consumers increasingly interested in where their food comes from, the sausage market is seeing a sustained push to support British farmers and a desire to buy locally produced food.
Bacon and sausage manufacturers have come under fire in recent years for their products’ salt and fat content. It will be interesting to see how they respond to the FSA’s forthcoming further guidelines to reduce fat and salt levels. Meanwhile the UK government’s drive to healthy eating has brought huge rewards for breakfast cereal manufacturers in particular, who have worked to reformulate their products, reducing their sugar and salt content, in many cases acting ahead of the rest of the food market.
The cereal manufacturers, big bakers and fruit juice producers alike devote a lot of space on pack to presenting their products’ health credentials, including such features as fibre, vitamins, minerals, wholegrain and super food status, to get the health message across to an increasingly receptive target audience. It all serves to emphasise these products’ intrinsic healthiness and highlight the wider scientific evidence in support of eating breakfast.
The Grocery Trader
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