Baking in the home is back in vogue, with a new generation of bakers keen to try out their favourite recipes with a mix of traditional and convenience products, says Gaelle Walker
As the home baking sector continues to successfully diversify its mix of traditional and convenient products, granny had better move over. A new generation of younger home bakers is entering the kitchen as cooking is becoming a popular pastime once again.
This year the total home baking category, which is valued at £303.5m, has enjoyed a substantial double-digit growth of 14%, adding £36.5m in sales to last year’s figures [TNS 52 w/e May 22, 2005].
TNS says that there are two main sectors that are responsible for this good performance - baking fruit and snacking fruit.
Consumer awareness of healthy eating and the importance of wellbeing is fuelling major growth in the fruit-based sectors, which now hold the largest segment in the category.
With a 33.5% share of the total UK home baking sector, snacking fruits, still used by many consumers in home baking, is up 22% year-on-year to £101.7m, and baking fruits is up 17% year-on-year to £72m, according to TNS.
This shift in consumer attitudes is further evident in the purchasing of core ingredients such as natural flavours, which have increased in value by 15.8% on last year [ACNielsen 52 w/e April 2005], while artificial flavours and colours have seen a sharp decline as consumers look for ingredients which they perceive to be better for them.
Silver Spoon, the UK’s leading sugar brand, is experiencing growing demand for its range of light sugars and low-calorie sweeteners that can be used in home baking, for example, as people are starting to look for lower-calorie options for their homemade cakes and biscuits.
However, despite the rising tide of healthy eating, indulgence remains a major driving force in the home baking sector.
Consumers still consider baking to be an occasional activity and the fruits of their labours are generally reserved for special occasions such as birthdays and celebrations. For this reason, the category does not appear to have been negatively affected by the increased awareness of healthy eating and the obesity debate.
Convenience is another key driver in this sector. Today’s generation of time-poor, money-rich consumers are
being targeted by savvy manufacturers that now offer a plethora of home baking products, which are quicker and easier to use than ever.
For example, according to TNS, the flour mixes market has grown by 8% in value this year and now holds a 12.5% share of the total home baking market.
Products aimed at children are also performing well as mums are looking to better control what passes their children’s lips.
In particular children’s lines, such as Mr Men and Spider-Man, have experienced strong growth with a heavy focus on new product development. Increased promotional activity has also played its part in attracting a wider, younger audience of consumers to the category.
The proliferation of celebrity chefs and television cookery programmes is also fuelling growth, as is the promotion of home baking as a wholesome and fulfilling family activity.
Own label still dominates the sector with a 75% share of the market and branded companies are upping their activity in order to wrest market share.
Recent research carried out on behalf of Supercook indicates that 45% of mothers bake with their children once a month, and that 86% of women with children in the household decorate cakes with their children. [Ipsos, June 2005]. As a result, the company is targeting its products at both mums and children to maximise their sales potential.
Hannah Graves, marketing manager at Victoria Foods, which manufactures the Jane Asher brand of cake mixes, also says that home-baking products are increasingly being focused on the mother-daughter relationship.
“Home baking is increasingly being portrayed as a means of sharing quality time with children, as well as encouraging children to learn about cooking and baking, making it an educational activity,” says Graves.
In addition, many manufacturers are introducing booklets and recipe cards aimed at adults and children to further promote the sector and attract new users to the category.
Retailers are adding extra weight to this push through recipe features in their in-store magazines.
Personalisation is key within the sector and the decorations and cake finishings market is also growing, although not as fast as other sectors. TNS says that the cake coverings market grew in value by 3% year-on-year and now stands at £27.9m.
Increased promotional activity has played its part in helping grow the sector. TNS says this accounted for 11.5% of the market compared with 9.5% the year before.
As the home baking sector continues to successfully diversify its mix of traditional and convenient products, granny had better move over. A new generation of younger home bakers is entering the kitchen as cooking is becoming a popular pastime once again.
This year the total home baking category, which is valued at £303.5m, has enjoyed a substantial double-digit growth of 14%, adding £36.5m in sales to last year’s figures [TNS 52 w/e May 22, 2005].
TNS says that there are two main sectors that are responsible for this good performance - baking fruit and snacking fruit.
Consumer awareness of healthy eating and the importance of wellbeing is fuelling major growth in the fruit-based sectors, which now hold the largest segment in the category.
With a 33.5% share of the total UK home baking sector, snacking fruits, still used by many consumers in home baking, is up 22% year-on-year to £101.7m, and baking fruits is up 17% year-on-year to £72m, according to TNS.
This shift in consumer attitudes is further evident in the purchasing of core ingredients such as natural flavours, which have increased in value by 15.8% on last year [ACNielsen 52 w/e April 2005], while artificial flavours and colours have seen a sharp decline as consumers look for ingredients which they perceive to be better for them.
Silver Spoon, the UK’s leading sugar brand, is experiencing growing demand for its range of light sugars and low-calorie sweeteners that can be used in home baking, for example, as people are starting to look for lower-calorie options for their homemade cakes and biscuits.
However, despite the rising tide of healthy eating, indulgence remains a major driving force in the home baking sector.
Consumers still consider baking to be an occasional activity and the fruits of their labours are generally reserved for special occasions such as birthdays and celebrations. For this reason, the category does not appear to have been negatively affected by the increased awareness of healthy eating and the obesity debate.
Convenience is another key driver in this sector. Today’s generation of time-poor, money-rich consumers are
being targeted by savvy manufacturers that now offer a plethora of home baking products, which are quicker and easier to use than ever.
For example, according to TNS, the flour mixes market has grown by 8% in value this year and now holds a 12.5% share of the total home baking market.
Products aimed at children are also performing well as mums are looking to better control what passes their children’s lips.
In particular children’s lines, such as Mr Men and Spider-Man, have experienced strong growth with a heavy focus on new product development. Increased promotional activity has also played its part in attracting a wider, younger audience of consumers to the category.
The proliferation of celebrity chefs and television cookery programmes is also fuelling growth, as is the promotion of home baking as a wholesome and fulfilling family activity.
Own label still dominates the sector with a 75% share of the market and branded companies are upping their activity in order to wrest market share.
Recent research carried out on behalf of Supercook indicates that 45% of mothers bake with their children once a month, and that 86% of women with children in the household decorate cakes with their children. [Ipsos, June 2005]. As a result, the company is targeting its products at both mums and children to maximise their sales potential.
Hannah Graves, marketing manager at Victoria Foods, which manufactures the Jane Asher brand of cake mixes, also says that home-baking products are increasingly being focused on the mother-daughter relationship.
“Home baking is increasingly being portrayed as a means of sharing quality time with children, as well as encouraging children to learn about cooking and baking, making it an educational activity,” says Graves.
In addition, many manufacturers are introducing booklets and recipe cards aimed at adults and children to further promote the sector and attract new users to the category.
Retailers are adding extra weight to this push through recipe features in their in-store magazines.
Personalisation is key within the sector and the decorations and cake finishings market is also growing, although not as fast as other sectors. TNS says that the cake coverings market grew in value by 3% year-on-year and now stands at £27.9m.
Increased promotional activity has played its part in helping grow the sector. TNS says this accounted for 11.5% of the market compared with 9.5% the year before.
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