At this time of year, most of the nation wants to eat healthier while saving time and money, so it’s an ideal moment to celebrate one of the most popular and efficient meal time hacks – the air fryer, maintains McCormick UK marketing director Caroline Lesur
What some once labelled as a trend or a fad, the air fryer is now a vital kitchen appliance that takes pride of place in 61% of UK households. In fact, research estimates that roughly 3 million air fryers were sold last year alone [Tefal], and they are now the third most-used kitchen tool, after toasters and microwaves. This shift is reshaping how Britain cooks and it is creating a fast-growing sub-category that is driving incremental sales across multiple aisles, from frozen to flavour.
Why are air fryers so popular?
“Air fryers are all about having convenience at your fingertips,” says McCormick UK marketing director Caroline Lesur. “At the turn of dial, or the press of a few buttons, these appliances provide a wealth of meal-time possibilities,” she notes. ”Less energy intensive than a conventional oven, they are better for both the planet and consumers’ pockets. They are easier to clean than conventional ovens and, as they have grown in popularity, they have become easier to master too.”
What’s more, many food producers now provide the relevant cooking instructions on their packaging and social media is teeming with inspirational ideas to level up home cooks’ air fryer game, with recipes that can be prepared, cooked and enjoyed in just a few minutes. The Flavour Vault UK on TikTok, for example,is just one of thousands of channels that has helped to introduce air fryer cooking to a whole new demographic.
The first-ever National Air Fry Week
Recognising the growing popularity of air fryers, McCormick UK brand Schwartz has launched the UK’s first-ever National Air Fry Week, running from 19 to 26 January 2026, in partnership with Frylight and McCain. The initiative is intended to celebrate the innovation transforming home cooking and inspire consumers to explore new recipes and flavour combinations.
“Recent SEO data indicates that, this month alone, the volume of Google searches for air fryer recipes tends to pick up by c.40% [Google], with the peak time for searches typically spiking between 5pm and 6pm on weekdays when most consumers make last-minute dining decisions and therefore the demand for fuss-free recipes is at its highest and convenience is the key purchasing driver,” says Lesur.
“National Air Fry Week will therefore look to build on this changing behaviour-led momentum, encouraging more consumers to expand their culinary repertoire by upping their air fry game, without any extra hassle, and helping retailers capitalise on increasingly spontaneous dining occasions.”
What’s driving engagement with previously untapped demographics?
Increasingly engaging social guidance and innovative NPD performance, such as the one delivered by the Schwartz Air Fry Bangin Chicken – the No.1 best-selling Air Fry SKU by value across herbs, spices, seasonings and recipe mixes [Nielsen] – are driving significant younger shopper recruitment into the category, meaning the long-term growth potential here remains incredibly exciting.
The consistent expansion of the category seen over the last few years has been further compounded by improvements in technology embedded in these appliances so that the sheer variety of meals that consumers can prepare in them is now astounding, ranging from proteins, to vegetables, to frozen foods and even pizza the air fryer is now a vital kitchen appliance that takes pride of place in 61% of UK households – hence why another of Schwartz’s partners, Tefal, now highlights that more than a quarter of UK households use their air fryer every day, with some even using it several times a day – be that for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner.
Does health and wellbeing still play a part?
Health and wellbeing continue to play a key role in how many consumers cook, and according to recent research by Frylight, while shoppers initially bought an air fryer to help save on energy bills, they continue to use it as a quick, easy way to create healthier meals. This coincides with a broader shift in health trends, with consumers typically now less focused on calorie-counting and more focused on wanting to reduce the amount of fats and oils used in their home cooking.
What trends have taken hold in this rapidly expanding category?
Again, it’s all about convenience. As the UK’s No.1 Air fry flavour brand, Schwartz knows that home cooks, both rookie and experienced, want quick cook times as well as food that packs a flavourful punch, explains Lesur.
“Our purposefully designed Air Fry seasonings range helps deliver just that, evenly coating ingredients and cooking perfectly in the higher temperatures and increased air flow associated with air fryers, all in as little as 12 minutes,” she says. “It’s perhaps not surprising then that the Schwartz Air Fry range has been responsible for bringing 20% incremental shoppers into the category so far [Nielsen], and two of our flavours – Bangin Chicken and Cheezy Chips – held two of the three top spots in best-selling NPDs by value in the category in 2024 [Nielsen].
“Furthermore, in 2025 Schwartz Air Fry Sweet & Sticky Chinese BBQ seasoning SKU was the best-selling branded NPD [Nielsen] as more consumers sought flavour inspiration from across the globe and wanted to replicate it, for minimal cost, at home.”
What to expect from the inaugural National Air Fry Week
National Air Fry Week has been created to build on the category’s fast-growing momentum, unite leading brands that are driving innovation across the sector, and build greater awareness of the growth potential in this exciting and rapidly expanding facet of home-cooking.
The organisers also want to celebrate the unique advantages of cooking with an air fryer and encourage even more consumers to build healthier eating habits with new, exciting flavour combinations that they can then take through the rest of 2026 and beyond.
To that end, over seven days, Schwartz will distribute 70,000 free samples, host live cook-ups on its Flavour Vault TikTok channel, designed to help home cooks level up their air fry game, and run a nationwide competition offering a £5,000 kitchen upgrade.
The company is also working closely with many of its retail partners to deliver high‑impact in‑store activations and digital support that will further bring the event to life on shelves and ensure that it is driving traffic both in store and online. What’s more, the brand’s NPD team have been hard at work developing several new flavour innovations that will launch later this year. All of this activity is designed to help retailers capitalise on this long-term air fryer category growth, both during this inaugural National Air Fry Week and beyond.
Head to Schwartz’s social channels to find out how to get involved in National Air Fry Week, as well as explore handy tips and tricks to help up your air fry game.
