AGE PROFILE of cauliflower consumers Children 0-1010% 11-167% Male 17-348% 35-6421% 65+10% Female 17-3410% 35-6422% 65+14% Info: Usage overview of cauliflower. In-home/lunchbox The cauliflower market has grown 4.7% to £101m in the past year The number of occasions it is eaten has risen 1.7% to 888 million 57% is eaten at the evening meal and 27% at lunch More than a third is eaten on a Sunday due to its association with the traditional Sunday roast People over 45 account for 52% of consumption 46% is eaten because it is healthy

Cauliflower needs to become a fast food

Cauliflower consumption has risen 1.7% in the past year following two years of decline. The growth spurt can be attributed to the return to growth of Sunday lunch (+6.7%). More than a third is eaten on Sunday with poultry (27%), beef (16%), pork (14%) and lamb (9%). So a key opportunity to increase consumption lies with reaching other meals in the week and also using it in quicker meals, as currently 57% of meals with cauliflower take more than an hour to prepare. Cauliflower will also benefit from a return to main meals (up 3.3%) and the trend towards less snacking and more healthy eating - 46% is eaten for health reasons. Although consumers over 45 still account for more than half of all cauliflower consumption, children and parents mostly drove growth in the past year - both are up 8%. This ties in with the Sunday roast as a typical family meal and parents regaining control of what their children eat. Vicky Mansell