Focus On Sauces & Condiments: 19 June

Focus On: Sauces & Condiments by Daniel Woolfson 

Download the synopsis here

Publishing: 19 June 2021

Advertising deadline: 4 May

Submissions deadline: 28 May

The Story

Great British table sauce is back! Old-school duo brown sauce and salad cream have each added more than 16% to their value during the pandemic. It marks a distinct reversal of their fortunes before Covid-19. What’s changed? How do they plan to maintain their performance? That also goes for classic condiments such as mint sauce, cranberry sauce and even redcurrant jelly. They’ve been flying off shelves as the overall sauces & condiments market has added £120m. What have been the main drivers of such success? And how are the next 12 months likely to pan out for Britain’s traditional table sauces?

Key Themes

Great British classics: Sales of salad cream, brown sauce and mustards have shot through the roof. Why? Which brands have led the revival – and how? What occasions, flavours and innovations have been key?

Classic condiments’ revival: Large festive gatherings such as Christmas and Easter have been off the cards – and yet cranberry sauce for turkey and mint sauce for lamb are both in double-digit volume growth. That’s even the case for redcurrant sauce, typically enjoyed with game. What’s driven these upticks?

Ketchup and mayo: How have the two table sauce powerhouses been battling it out over the past year? What’s new in flavours and formats?

Innovation: What meal occasions and appetites are driving NPD and innovation? How much value are craft brands and dairy-free lines adding to the category? How are formats evolving? And what new and exciting flavours are emerging?

BBQ season: With a summer of sport on the cards this year, how are brands and retailers gearing up for BBQ season? And how has the disappointing weather so far affected early sales?

Innovations: We identify four new condiments or table sauces or new product ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before including launch date, rsp, stockists and an image of each.

Shopper Intelligence: Shopping for sauces & condiments is very intentional mission – 85% of shoppers plan to buy the category before coming to store, according to Shopper Intelligence. How are brands and retailers raising their profiles ‘pre-store’ so shoppers make a beeline for them?