AGE PROFILE of fish fingers/cakes consumers Children 0-1029% 11-1611% Male 17-3410% 35-6413% 65+4% Female 17-3412% 35-6415% 65+6% Info: Usage overview of fish fingers/cakes. Year ending November 2007. In-home/lunchbox consumption Sales of fish fingers/cakes are up 7% to £102m People ate them on 363 million occasions last year 40% are eaten by children 50% are eaten at the evening meal A weekday staple for children's teatime The number of meals at which fish fingers/fish cakes are eaten has risen 5% year-on-year, mainly because children are eating more. Yet children only account for 40% of consumption, highlighting the wider popularity of the products. Although children aged 0-5 are the largest-single consumer group, the greatest growth has been among children aged 11-16 and females aged 17-24. Half of consumption is at the evening meal, up 3% year-on-year. Teatime, driven by children returning from school, is the second-most important occasion, accounting for one in every four such meals. Lunch may only account for 20% of consumption but is up 17% year-on-year. Weekday consumption is fairly consistent through the week, with 80% of meals at weekdays. Fish fingers/fish cakes are well positioned as both a practical and enjoyment-based food, with these reasons accounting for 46% and 48% of occasions respectively. Convenient preparation is clearly a key driver of their popularity with young adults. However, a real opportunity lies in the fastest-growing reason: health. The relative importance of health to all frozen foods has risen from 12.9% to 16.2% in the past four years as consumer confidence about the health credentials of fish grows. Marine Samzun

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