Most consumers say they prefer British food and drink but only a third actively look for it, research finds

Most consumers say they prefer to buy British food and drink, but only a third seek it out, according to new research.

An online survey of 1,002 UK shoppers by retail and shopper marketing agency Savvy pointed to an “attitude-action” gap, as 83% of consumers said Britishness matters to them to some extent, while only 34% actively look for products labelled as British when shopping.

“While shoppers value Britishness, for many it may not be sufficiently visible or compelling at the point of purchase to drive conversion,” said insight director Alastair Lockhart.

Dairy is the category that matters most to shoppers, with 86% of shoppers saying Britishness matters to some extent, closely followed by fresh meat and poultry (85%), bakery (83%) and fresh fruit & vegetables (81%). British provenance of alcoholic drinks mattered the least the shoppers. Fewer than half of shoppers say it is important that beer is British (46%), falling to 40% for spirits.

Lockhart added: “There is a clear opportunity for British brands and producers to make provenance work harder at the shelf. Shoppers already have positive attitudes towards British food and drink, but a much lower proportion are actively seeking it out.

“Clearer labelling is part of the solution, but just adding a union jack won’t always be enough. Brands need to give shoppers a reason to care – whether that’s ingredient provenance, quality, supporting British producers or standards such as animal welfare.

“Of course, price is an important part of the equation. A quarter of shoppers say they choose British products even if they cost slightly more, suggesting there is some willingness to pay a premium.”

When shoppers do investigate provenance, they look beyond British labelling. More than a quarter check where ingredients come from (27%) and 26% check where products are manufactured or packaged. Some 30% say they prefer to buy products local to their area.

The research also showed that shoppers have different priorities when it comes to “British” products. Just over a third (34%) said it is important that food and drink is both produced and made in Britain, while 16% prioritise products being made in Britain regardless of where the ingredients come from. A further 7% place the emphasis on British ingredients, regardless of where the final product is made.

Younger shoppers cared less about where the ingredients came from as long as the food or drink was made in Britain, while older shoppers placed a higher importance on both ingredients and production.