Who’s been doing what?

Pie

Source: Unsplash

Focus On: Savoury Pies & Pastries

By Rob Brown (rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com)

Publishing: 22 November 2025

Advertising deadline: 7 November 2025

Submissions deadline: 31 October 2025

As Brits’ eating habits continue to evolve at pace, savoury pastry brands are coming up with new formats such as the recently launched pastry parcels, pockets and toasties.

  • Who’s been doing what in the past year?
  • What’s fuelling this innovation?
  • What kind of meal occasions are they aimed at?
  • How big of an opportunity is lunchtime?
  • How are they performing at the tills?
  • And how else is the savoury pies & pastries changing?
  • What are the trendiest fillings – and why?

In-store marketing, merchandising and theatre

  • How are retailers trying to improve shopping experiences in store and online?
  • To what extent is this is helping different retail groups win share and create points of difference?

Brands v own label

  • How has the balance between brands and own label has changed over the past year?
  • Which retailers have been pushing own label products the most in the past year?
  • How are brands fighting back? How do they compare on price, product quality and the like?

Marketing

  • How are the big brands using their marketing budgets to convince shoppers to continue putting them in their baskets?
  • How reliant are they on celebrity endorsements, primetime TV ads and digital?
  • And how can challengers with shallower pockets cut through the noise?

Retail share

  • How are retailers managing the category in terms of ranging, promotions and balancing brands and own label product assortments?
  • How are brands working with retailers to create excitement in the fixture?
  • Which retailers are in strongest growth and why?

Innovation

  • We will profile four new interesting products or ranges, ideally ones that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.