Focus On Protein: 19 October

Focus On Protein by Natalie Brown

Download feature synopsis here

Publishing: 19 October

Advertising deadline: 7 October

Submissions deadline: 30 September

The Story

2019 has been the year to go natural. Holland and Barrett is shouting about its all-natural beauty range, a growing number of celebrities are exercising her right to go au naturel and declining to shave their legs, and over in protein things are no different. Demand for protein is taking a turn for the more natural, and grocery is moving quickly to provide. The past year has seen increasing focus on natural protein credentials and content. The movement shows no signs of slowing, with natural protein being the key focus of next month’s British Egg Week. So, why are shoppers opting for more natural protein? Which brands and sectors are poised to capitalise, and what does this mean for the added protein market?

Key themes:

Changing perceptions: What is driving rising demand for natural protein? How does this tie in with wider food trends?

Natural protein: Some sectors and brands, such as nut butters, will find themselves already on the right side of the natural protein trend. Which other sectors are positioned to capitalise on shoppers looking for natural protein? Which protein players are already benefitting from this movement, and how are they positioning their products to attract shoppers?

Added protein: What does the natural protein trend mean for added protein players? Are existing shoppers switching from added protein to natural, or is natural protein attracting new entrants into the category?

Plant based: Plant based protein has been on the rise for a while now, inspiring a raft of innovations. What have been the top innovations in plant based protein this year? And what’s next - algae is a potentially promising protein source, and attracting increasing attention. Who in grocery is looking into algae protein, and how could it potentially shake up the category?

Is fibre the new protein? While demand, innovation and attention has soared in protein over recent years, fibre has remained in the corner. But that may all be about to change. For the gut health trend is continuing to pick up speed this year, bringing with it a growing awareness of the importance of fibre. Which brands are pushing forward the fibre message, and are shoppers ready to listen?

4 x innovations: We identify four new products or product ranges that have not appeared in The Grocer before. including launch date, RSP and a picture of each.

Kantar data: Using Kantar data, we explain the factors behind the performance of the different protein sectors.