UK Future Food Trends Update

We enjoyed an excellent session with Charles Banks of The Food People and Kelly Dowson, MD of Good Sense Research, at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair 2023.

They covered five key areas of food trend dynamics, a really interesting insight into where the shopper is currently and considerations for food producers as they drive for growth following a highly turbulent time in the marketplace. We felt the important things were...

Confidence is slowly returning, across all channels

As inflation softens, consumers are feeling generally better about things, especially younger and older adults. There is still a big 'squeezed middle' though, who are watching budgets closely. Simplicity in food as well as joy from familiarity is driving interest and growth, especially in out of home. Whilst Taste will always be the number 1 need for food consumers, the experience is increasingly important. This can come from great ingredients, interesting spices, a twist on familiar classics - in fact Charles talked a lot about familiarity being a platform for innovation.

The need for cost saving initiatives switches from in home to the retailer or manufacturer

It seems saving costs at home, with such things as using left overs or reducing energy use, is on the wane. In fact, consumers are now more likely to see the retailer and the manufacturer as holding the responsibility for driving cost efficiencies, probably an output of the high inflation we've seen. If retailers and brands can demonstrate relevance in this area, either through sourcing, operations or tech, they will show greater and more appealing value to the shopper. Waste reduction is a key part of this work the food industry needs to continue working on.

Consumer confusion abounds in the plant based space

Something we've known for a while. Charles and Kelly called this the 'Meat to Plant Based Pendulum', which has been swinging for a few years as we've seen such a huge uptick in interest in plant based and meat-alt products. Most recently though, as shoppers become more savvy (and evidently read more back of packs), we're seeing a rejection of some plant based products and certainly 'cellular meat' due to concerns over ingredient decs and environmental issues. The full end-to-end carbon footprint of products is getting more scrutiny and manufacturers need to ensure they've assessed this, and then communicated it properly. Quality, flavour, innovation and good price are still the four vital elements of any plant based food, luckily many brands are doing this well but there is still a lot more to do to convince shoppers to switch. Alongside this meat producers are upping their game in sustainability messaging and it seems many flexitarians are flipping back to consuming more animal proteins.

Sustainability remains important

Interest in and the appeal of sustainability through the supply chain has been resilient during the past couple of years, across grocery and foodservice. Ethical trading becomes more important for the consumer and so operators and brands need to continue responding with the great work they're doing. Seasonality has always been used in high end restaurants as a way to show ethical and sustainable practices but there is a greater need for this in more chain outlets and grocery.

Consumers remain curious

Some of the feedback above suggests shoppers are keen to learn more about their food, reading online articles, studying pack copy. The typical consumer enjoys an average of five different cuisine types per month and over half are interested in learning about many more cuisines. Innovating around familiar dishes, even those from other cuisines, provides a window of exploration for the consumer, with innovative elements introduced over time being a great way to take the consumer on a journey and further their food interests.

In all, it was a great UK food trends update from Charles and Kelly. Some green shoots of confidence shown in the market with a desire to see innovation coming through in food and supply chain practices, but some watch outs on the confusing landscape in plant based especially. Get in touch with us if you'd like to see how we can help brand owners and manufacturers navigate these choppy waters!