The global breakfast food market is forecast to increase by 125 billion USD between 2022 and 2027 (Technavio), and research shows that enjoyment and taste are the two most common motivations for choice of breakfast item (Kantar).
Breakfast is the least skipped meal of the day (Kantar), so retailers have a real opportunity here to capitalise on the growing market. Stocking the right products in order to win breakfast is the first step but they need to consider that convenience, health and value for money are influential in what consumers are choosing to eat for the first meal of the day.
Although the market is seeing large numbers of consumers move towards healthier options for their diets, as a whole the bakery sector is thriving. While croissants have long been a staple in the UK breakfast and brunch scene, there’s been a growing trend towards new formats and flavours in recent years. This wave of innovation is crucial for keeping consumer interest alive in the category.
For those who are more health conscious and looking to make changes to their breakfast habits, there are still many opportunities for bakery items to capture this corner of the market too. The consumption of wholegrain bread has doubled in the past 20 years as consumers have become concerned with factors such as fibre intake. French Bakery manufacturer Bridor, offers a versatile breakfast range focused on taste, convenience and nutrition. Its expansive range includes loaves, rolls and baguettes, croissants, pains au chocolat and pains aux raisins.
In June 2024, Bridor launched a new chocolate swirl pastry in collaboration with German chocolatiers, Milka. The new Swirl with Milka Chocolate is an all-butter puff pastry that gives retailers the opportunity to serve customers a unique, delicious pastry from one of the world’s most recognisable chocolate brands. With Bridor research showing that 87% of UK consumers surveyed want to eat this product, it’s a real opportunity to offer a pastry that’s already proven to be popular among shoppers and diners. Furthermore, the combination of Bridor’s Viennese pastry know-how and Milka’s smooth, creamy chocolate, makes for a product that’s perfectly suited to breakfast or snacking occasions.
“Operators should recognise that out-of-home breakfast and brunch options have evolved but items like croissants and pain au chocolat are viewed as being cost-effective options that cater to the weekday breakfast market and encourage repeat custom,” comments Erwan Inizan, Northern Europe Sales Director, Bridor. “Retailers should cater to both weekday and weekend breakfast occasions, embracing global inspirations and uplifting traditional offers to tap into the trend towards consumers enjoying more indulgent foods on the weekend. Additionally, social media has become particularly influential in what consumers are looking for from cafes and serving high-quality products that tap into these trends will encourage customers to capture the moment and share it on their social channels, ultimately helping to drive footfall.”
Josh Corrigan, Customer Development Director, UK, at St Pierre Groupe comments on behalf of the Baker Street brand: “Breakfast is a major driver of bread and bakery sales in retail, including convenience format stores, and local retailers’ sales of bread products in local store for this meal occasion are continuing to do well in 2024. Bread is bought by almost everyone, and offers a convenient, dependable, nutritious breakfast option.”
Products that offer both convenience and taste are a key purchase driver and showing growth, such as sliced bread, burger buns and hot dog rolls, as shoppers look for simple and affordable ways to achieve a balanced diet. Traditional sliced loaves remain a key staple for the vast majority of households, due to their versatility and convenience – particularly in the morning when time is limited. At the same time, despite financial pressures, shoppers are still keen to treat themselves well at home, and are investing in brands like Baker Street, that consistently deliver on quality.
“Shoppers are looking for simple and affordable ways to achieve a balanced diet, and increased consumer interest in healthy eating is a trend that’s driving the breakfast opportunity in bakery,” adds Corrigan. “It’s also a further contributor to our growth, and Baker Street’s range of rye breads – Seeded Rye and Rye & Wheat – have benefitted from growing demand for healthy alternatives. Whilst Rye Bread is a subcategory in growth (up almost 6 per cent), Baker Street’s rye loaves are growing at nearly 85 per cent on last year. The brand offers two products in its range – a Seeded Rye and a Rye & Wheat (IRI).”
Rye Bread as a category is growing fast in convenience – likely from top-up shoppers looking for healthier options. The category is up 17 per cent in value and 12 per cent in volume when you look at convenience alone. And the Baker Street products are driving this, up 52 per cent value and 56 per cent volume. The brand increased distribution with the Co-op 18 months ago and in turn, almost doubled its share of the Rye category in convenience. Proof that consumers will opt for quality branded products, no matter where they shop.
The Baker Street Rye range’s extended life allows retailers to offer their shoppers a broader range without the concerns around increased wastage, which makes Baker Street a great – and less risky way – to introduce new products.
“Retailers should review their breakfast sales data and focus on the best sellers, and ensure the relevant products are available and there is plenty of stock, and in the case of bakery, sliced loaves, burger buns and hot dog rolls from Baker Street. Retailers should offer a broad range in each category, from value to premium, covering all price points,” suggests Corrigan.
“In terms of ranging, retailers can maximise their breakfast bakery sales and at the same time minimise waste by stocking the Baker Street brand, which is in long-term growth and is a must-stock for retailers. Our Sliced White and Brown and our Seeded Rye and Rye & Wheat loaves meet consumers’ demand for bread they can trust to be there when they need it. The Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls are performing well as they meet consumer needs around creating impromptu take away classics which can be easily handled, whilst helping to reduce food waste. They also cater for the whole family for extended breakfasts and brunches – something that is a very attractive proposition to consumers.
“In merchandising, retailers should follow the major grocers’ convenience format stores’ example and position breakfast bread products in-store alongside complementary lines.”
Rachel Wells, Commercial Director at St Pierre Groupe comments on behalf of the St Pierre brand: “9 out of 10 consumers eat breakfast every day (Kantar), making it the largest meal occasion in the UK, and a major opportunity for local retailers. For individual stores, making the best of breakfast comes down to monitoring sales in the different categories, knowing their customers, and stocking the brands and products that shoppers want, like the St Pierre range of morning goods, brioche buns and hot dog rolls.
“This is key when considering bakery. Whilst bread has twice the number of ‘eating occasions’ with UK consumers, smart retailers pay attention to where the growth is coming from. Splitting bakery into ‘bakery occasions’, ‘bread’ and ‘cakes and sweet treats’, it’s clear that most value growth in bakery is driven by bakery occasions. And this is particularly significant because in breakfast, bakery occasions account for 38 per cent of sales. Shoppers are still looking to treat themselves well for breakfast – whether that’s at home or on the move.”
The home/hybrid working trend means on some days out of home breakfasts are an important part of the working day for millions of us, but on at home days the same people enjoy an ‘upgraded’ menu, including St Pierre’s morning goods and brioche buns and hot dog rolls.
The morning run presents a clear opportunity for retailers to merchandise a range of morning goods, which can be partnered with hot drink dispensers in-store. Furthermore, as traditional day parts blur, there’s much to be said for keeping this area topped up and in good order from first thing in the morning until mid-afternoon, along with the rest of the food to go offering. Again, retailers need to keep an eye on what is happening in their stores. The strength of the St Pierre brand helps retailers increase both at home and food to go sales and draw shoppers back on repeat visits.
“Offering brands that consumers know and trust, backed by high-profile marketing campaigns, is an important part of retailers’ strategy for the breakfast occasion, particularly in convenience format stores. It’s also important to stock a choice of different pack formats to meet different needs,” adds Wells.
“Stocking the right branded bakery products for breakfast is critical. A strong selection of these will sell itself on the bakery fixture. Retailers should focus on the bestselling lines in their store, but to keep people coming back, stores should offer a wide choice to keep shoppers coming back to try something different next time.
“Leading brands like St Pierre are the key for local retailers to establish themselves as the local ‘go to’ for affordable, indulgent bread and bakery products, for breakfast or any time. The way we merchandise in store and activate the brand is also key to our success. We are delivering a premium, quality experience for shoppers that starts in store and builds brand trust. It’s that experience, backed up by our superior product quality that keeps shoppers coming back to the fixture to find St Pierre – and is why we are growing in both value and volume.”
Andy Smith, Retail Sales Manager, Brioche Pasquier, comments: “Breakfasts tend to vary, convenience rules for weekdays but weekends are a different story with many people looking to create a healthy and delicious breakfast and they have a little time to do it. For the convenience shopper, our individually wrapped Pains au Chocolat with its delicious dark chocolate filling makes an ideal start to the day or an on the go commuting breakfast. For weekends, our croissants are delicious with smoked salmon and avocado or even cream cheese, our brioche bread makes the perfect French toast, and our brioche rolls elevate a traditional bacon and sausage roll.”
All Brioche Pasquier products are baked without preservatives, yet maintain a long shelf life of 29 days, due to the unique ‘levain’ in the recipe (Brioche Pasquier Pancakes has a shelf life of 24 days). This makes the range an ideal option for the weekly shoppers and monthly planners alike, as they can be confident there will be no unnecessary food waste. This desirable characteristic is key for every part of the sales chain, from wholesalers to retailers, to consumers.
Still a regular trend on the breakfast agenda is health and wellbeing which has fuelled a strong lean towards products with clean labelling.
Consumers are concerned about their health and wellbeing and that of their families. Additives like preservatives, artificial flavourings and colourings all signal a red light to those who want to eat simple, clean bakery products. Brioche Pasquier is a family-owned company with a focus on baking quality, clean recipe products. The Brioche Pasquier range offers wholesome family food and is baked using simple recipes and natural ingredients. Key to the ingredient list of Brioche Pasquier products is the natural ‘levain’. This starter dough enables products to be fresher for longer without the use of preservatives and gives the unique taste. This original recipe was developed by Gabriel Pasquier in his small French bakery over 80 years ago and his savoir-faire has been passed down from generation to generation. The range is baked to traditional recipes using wholesome ingredients like butter, flour and eggs.
“Breakfast shelves need to be dependable while at the same time adding interest with new and different products. Brioche Pasquier offers the comfort of a familiar, well-established brand with a sprinkling of continental je ne sais quoi,” adds Smith.
Andy Williams, Revenue and Channel Director at Kellanova, comments: “Cereal remains to be an important part of the breakfast category in both scale, penetration and frequency. Valued at £1.81billion (Kantar), it is still the number one choice for breakfast with 21 million households purchasing cereal 21 times per year (on average).”
Convenience still tops the tables for many consumers choosing what to eat for breakfast, while health benefits are not far behind. Many variants of cereal provide excellent levels of fibre and other nutrients, which lead to a feeling of fullness that fuels people through their busy mornings till lunch.
Taste and versatility are noted as further reasons why people enjoy cereal at breakfast and throughout the day too; with so many varieties there really is something for anyone, any palate, any time. Value for money of breakfast cereal should not be ignored either, as it provides excellent value compared to other breakfast options.
The data shows that the majority (89%) of breakfasts are eaten in the home and that 95% of cereal purchased is consumed at breakfast time. Cereal is widely enjoyed as the first meal of the day in the UK over alternatives – with cereal being chosen in almost twice as many situations as toast.
Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut is Kellanova’s top selling product, with Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Kellogg’s Frosties comprising the top three. After that, Kellogg’s Coco Pops and Kellogg’s Krave currently account for the brand’s fourth and fifth bestsellers. Kellogg’s Variety packs, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s Special K, and Kellogg’s Fruit and Fibre are highly popular cereals and perform very well in the market, too.
“High fibre and protein are both vital for fuelling up first thing, whilst having the capability to combine to produce tasty and enjoyable breakfast cereals; so that’s where we’re focusing our NPD and marketing efforts,” adds Williams. “We’ve tweaked Kellogg’s Special K and Kellogg’s All Bran cereals so both are non-High Fat Sugar Salt (HFSS), as well as developing Kellogg’s Special K Fibre Crunch to appeal to this demographic.”
Kellogg’s is continuing to perform well and currently makes up 50% of category sales. Seven of the top 10 brands in the channel are Kellogg’s, including Crunchy Nut, Corn Flakes and Coco Pops.
Kellogg’s takes pride in providing shoppers and retailers with additional benefits and savings such as via on-pack promotions, like annual partnership with Merlin Entertainment, whereby significant savings can be made on top UK attractions and days out simply by purchasing a promotional box of cereal and following the instructions.
This year has seen the launch of Kellogg’s Football Camps in the UK, where the brand has partnered with the EFL and over 70 football clubs including Manchester City FC to offer 30,000 free places to summer camps for kids – a research-backed initiative that has supported families during the long school summer break.
The brand has big marketing plans for next year too, including a second year of Kellogg’s Football Camps and other largescale depot support activations.
Inventure continues to make in-roads into the UK breakfast market, with the launch of an exciting new cereal range. Following the growing success of the brand’s existing product portfolio, Inventure has introduced four of its best-selling cereal flavours, in a brand new ‘on the go’ format.
They have now launched four American themed flavours; Marshmallow Cookie O’s, Peanut Butter Puffs, S’mores and Flumps in 40 gram cups (RRP:£1).
The brand has secured strong early listings in Poundland, Farm Foods, Heron and The Range.
The range is also available to independents directly from Inventure. The full pack versions can be found in Morrisons, Sainsburys, Iceland, Farm foods and Heron.
Created with convenience at the core, the new Cups are positioned as perfect for pre-school, the office or as simply as a snack – just peel back and add your choice of milk. As with the rest of the Inventure range, the new cups are based on family flavour favourites, are made using high-quality ingredients and are a great source of Fibre and Protein.
Inventure Head of Sales, Nick Hudson says: ”We’re so excited to be launching some of our most popular products in this brand new convenient format. Bringing a playful twist on breakfast to the cereal category, the Cups are already proving to be a huge hit with customers. We’re very grateful to have such strong support from our retail partners to help us reach an even bigger audience.”
Gareth Roberts, UK Country Sales Manager at Dole Sunshine Company, comments: “Out of home or on-the-go breakfasts are increasingly popular because they can be consumed quickly and conveniently and fit into the pattern of people’s everyday busy lives. At Dole, our on-the-go breakfast solution is our 198g fruit cups, filled with either pineapple or tropical fruit, which are priced at just £1.50 and are the perfect portable and healthy breakfast snack. Ideally suited to the chiller, the 198g fruit cups not only taste great, and have a shelf life of over 90 days which minimises waste, whilst delivering all the health benefits of fresh on the go, and even come with a handy wooden cocktail stick to aid eating on the move. Having said all that, I think they’re both of equal importance nowadays, so retailers and wholesalers need to ensure that they are catering for both to ensure they don’t miss out on any potential sales.”
Healthiness is certainly high on consumers’ radars, with a recent Harris Interactive survey showing that 76% of breakfast eaters said health is either ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ important in their breakfast choices. That’s just one of the reasons why towards the end of last year Dole announced an exciting redesign across its fruit in juice range. The newly designed packs now feature clear ‘no added sugar’ and ‘vegan friendly’ messages to give consumers the reassurance they need that they will be eating something which is both delicious and healthy. An increasing number of consumers are concerned about the long-term impact on their health of ultra processed foods, so this subject is only going to continue to grow in importance. With mass produced sliced bread and breakfast cereals often being cited as two of the biggest examples of UPF food, many consumers are likely to be looking to change their regular breakfast choices and consider something more natural, so fruit (whether packaged or fresh) should be a likely beneficiary. Currently fruit is the fourth most popular food item to be consumed at breakfast, after cereal, toasted bakery products and porridge.
“Despite the recent drops in inflation, we still can’t ignore the cost-of-living crisis, which continues to impact many consumers’ shopping behaviours,” adds Roberts. “Whilst fresh fruit can come at a premium price, shoppers now understand that ambient goods not only offer good value and have longer shelf lives, but in the case of our Dole packaged fruit range, can also be one of your five-a-day and a healthy part of their overall diet. So, while some breakfast products may have risen significantly in price over the last twelve months, consumers can buy a four pack of Dole’s fruit in juice cups for just £2.29 or our 227g small pineapple chunks can for just £1.15, both of which offer a great tasting and healthy product at a price most can afford.”
Yorkshire-founded Proper Nutty is celebrating the launch of new Dark Roast with the brand’s first listings in Asda, adding to its growing presence across major multiple retail.
Like other products in the range, jars of Proper Nutty Dark Roast Smunchy peanut butter (280g Jar, RRP: £3.29) bring the “best of both worlds” to the premium part of the peanut butter fixture by offering shoppers both a smooth and crunchy experience.
The newcomer is rolling out now to 55 Asda stores in the county of the brand’s birth, alongside 1Kg tins of core range hero Slightly Salted Smunchy (RRP: 8.35).
“We’re delighted to finally be bringing our award-winning peanut butter brand to Asda shoppers, adding to the many fans who have already discovered Proper Nutty in Morrisons, Co-op and Ocado, and through independent and specialist retail throughout the UK,” explains Simon Greenwood-Haigh, the brand’s self-titled Chief Peanutologist.
Founded in Yorkshire in 2012, Proper Nutty set out to create a nut butter that felt and tasted hand-crafted and artisan, but on a slightly larger scale.
Choosing only peanuts that that they’re “proud of”, the team behind Proper Nutty believes in delivering a product with “the highest possible percentage of nuts to give shoppers the best nut butter experience possible”. All nuts are ground within a matter of minutes of being roasted.
“Proper Nutty is – as they say in Yorkshire – made proper and offers affordable premium at a time when people are looking to treat themselves but not break the bank,” adds Greenwood-Haigh.
“As well as attracting shoppers who want to trade up, we are also finding that a growing number of people are trading out of almond and cashew nut butters and turning to premium peanut offerings. That way they can still treat themselves, but on a smaller budget.
“We keep things proper simple, so we only buy the best, single origin, ethically sourced, high-oleic peanuts, which are then roasted before being ground good and proper before going straight into plastic free packaging within no more than two hours, making Proper Nutty the only ‘bean to cup’ peanut butter available.
“In short, we make peanut butter for shoppers who want a better product made in a better way, all whilst offering an affordable trade up from inferior products.”
The brand’s growing commercial success would certainly back this up.
“We have grown our footprint substantially and are currently growing in value by +80% year on year . We’re also the top rated and most reviewed nut butter brand across Ocado and Trustpilot, adding to our first Great Taste Award win in 2020.”
The full range of Proper Nutty products is available to order via distributor RH Amar.
Available in original Smunchy, new Lightly Salted Smunchy, Proper Crunchy, Yorkshire Roast, and new Dark Roast (featuring dry roasted, salted nuts for a deeper flavour), all are free of palm oil, contain no added sugar, are suitable for those following vegetarian and vegan diets, and come in plastic-free packaging.
Rachel Kettlewell, Founder of Fearne & Rosie, comments: “Whilst growing from a small base, Fearne & Rosie is the fastest growing jam brand in the UK. The brand is growing in both value and volume significantly ahead of heritage brands within the category. Fearne & Rosie is driving sustainable growth in jam, growing in both value and volume terms, with larger brand led offerings only growing in value terms due to inflation.”
Fearne & Rosie holds the highest brand loyalty in retailer X recruiting incremental audiences across retail partners. Fearne & Rosie delivers health, taste, innovation and value attracting contemporary adults and families. The brand helps more people, buy more jam, more often.
Fearne & Rosie have crafted Great Taste award-winning products with the cleanest nutritional profile in the category
In 2022 NHS England reported the highest levels of childhood obesity since records began. In 2023, by year 6, 36.6% of our children are overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity among year 6 is more than twice as high as in reception. The prevalence of obesity levels amongst year 6 children is 30.2% in the most deprived areas, compared with 13.1% in the least deprived areas.
“Fearne & Rosie believes that education is key and with over 100 million impressions in 2023 Fearne & Rosie is leading the conversation on jam headlining the narrative around growing the category,” adds Kettlewell. “Jam is the hero in total spreads. It is the nation’s favourite spread. Larger than both peanut butter and honey jam represents a £150 million category in the UK (vs £100 million in peanut butter) and a global market of $9 billion (vs $7 billion in peanut butter).
“Yet the category is a sleeping giant. Dominated by heritage brands and own brand with little innovation for decades. The jam category is ripe for disruption and Fearne & Rosie is perfectly positioned to take share.”
Bill Randles, Managing Director of SuperNutrio, comments: “Consumers are increasingly prioritising healthier breakfast options, and this has been driven by a rising awareness of nutrition, wellness and sustainable food choices. Here at SuperNutrio, we’ve found that consumers are not only looking for convenience, but also nutrient-dense meals that offer sustained energy and overall wellness.
Trends such as high-protein breakfasts are especially gaining momentum, as consumers actively choose ingredients that are packed with protein to keep them fuelled for the day. They’re actively looking for breakfasts that can keep them fuller for longer, prevent mid-morning energy crashes, and support an active lifestyle. The shift towards high-protein breakfasts as a healthier alternative is linked to a variety of health trends. For instance, many consumers are adopting fitness-focused diets or weight management plans that emphasise protein as a key macronutrient for building and preserving lean muscle mass.
However, consumers are not just looking for any protein – they want healthier and cleaner sources. Traditional breakfast meats like sausage and bacon are being swapped out for leaner and healthier alternatives, such as eggs, Greek yogurt and cow’s milk. Consumers want these sources to be minimally processed, free of artificial additives, and lower in unhealthy fats and sodium.
“SuperNutrio offers a whole host of nutritional benefits without compromising on flavour or adding any nasty ingredients, making it a great choice for those seeking healthier breakfast options,” adds Randles. ”It’s made with two whole litres of everyday cow’s milk and is uniquely filtered to concentrate the protein and calcium content – with double the protein and 80% more calcium than standard cow’s milk. This method ensures there are zero additives, preservatives or artificial flavourings, allowing us to fulfil consumer demand to create a healthier and cleaner breakfast.”
“For the breakfast category, the key to success lies in offering products that align with the evolving preferences of health conscious and convenience- seeking consumers. Consumers are looking for breakfasts that do more than just fill them up – they want foods that support their specific health goals. Products that are high protein, or fortified with functional ingredients like probiotics are in high demand,” advises Randles.
“Transparency is also key as shoppers are reading labels more closely than ever, looking for clean ingredients, minimal processing and ethical sourcing. Highlighting any certifications or emphasising sustainable sourcing practices is becoming increasingly important, particularly with consumers who are driven by environmental concerns.
“While health is a priority, taste remains a major driver. In our category of milk, research has found that 97% of consumers say that taste is the number one purchase motivator, so the great taste of our high-protein SuperNutrio cow’s milk is something we’ve really been shouting about.”
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