The UK’s home baking market is in great shape as growing numbers of consumers opt for ‘home made’ food in preference to ‘bought in’ or ‘dining out’. Whitworths, the UK’s number one supplier of dried fruits, nuts and seeds, says the market, in relation to home baking, is in significant growth, in terms of both volume and value. And there’s no reason why this should change.
“Thanks to the wide choice of great products available, improved quality, best ever distribution and in-store visibility, consumers are buying into the market more frequently and they are also buying considerably more of the market-leading Whitworths’ range, says Whitworths’ Marketing Director Clinton Orchard.
Market growth is being driven by Whitworths, which is the clear brand leader In Fruits & Nuts, with 40% volume growth and 68% value growth (source: Nielsen Scantrack).
Several major consumer and shopping trends in the wider market are contributing to the growth of the dried fruit, nuts and seeds market. In addition to TV cookery programmes continuing to dominate broadcast media, more people are interested in cooking from scratch, to give them more ‘ownership’ of what they’re cooking and, in many cases, to save money too.
Clinton Orchard adds: “Whitworths is very mindful of these trends and a really good example of how we’re responding to them this is our new Baking Ingredients range. These are designed to appeal to consumers who want to bake more, plus they give the benefit of making baking easier for consumers.
“For example, our raisins have been soaked to make them extra juicy, apricots are pre-chopped and nuts are toasted, flaked or ground etc., to remove these extra steps from the baking process for consumers. The time it takes to prepare ingredients, such as chopping and toasting, is sometimes not included in recipes, making ‘quick, simple recipes’ more time-consuming than expected.
“The results of us giving consumers what they want are there to be seen,” adds Orchard. “Whitworths’ penetration is up by around 50% compared to a year ago and our market share is dramatically increasing.”
There’s also good news for the category as a whole as growing numbers of consumers are buying into home baking. Some are doing so just because it’s cheaper, but many more people want to see exactly what goes into their baking for their family and others are trying home baking because it’s a fun activity to do with the children. What may have started out as a way to save money has become more popular as consumers realise they enjoy it! Whitworths is also taking the lead to attract more shoppers to the home baking fixture. NPD is playing a major role, but the company has also increased the number of on-pack promotions and multi-buy offers, to attract consumers to the fixture. Importantly, retailers have been working with Whitworths to improve the fixture layout, making them easier to shop for novice and experienced bakers alike.
With regard to the future, Orchard says the current trends of cooking from scratch, in-home dining and consumers seeking value for money will continue, but he believes that quality is set to play an even more important role in home baking.
“Consumers want to make the very best quality home-made food, and this particularly applies to cakes, which is another reason the quality of the Whitworths’ product offering is resulting in the company growing its share of this dynamic market,” concludes Orchard.
Whitworths Limited
Tel: 01933 653 000
Email: info@whitworths.co.uk
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