When Brussel sprouts are eatennThere were 508 million sprout occasions over the last year, a growth of 2%
nPeople aged 45+ are the key consumers
nHealth is the primary reason for eating sprouts, accounting for more than one third of consumptionA vegetable with a strong hold on the older generationConsumption of sprouts has grown 2% compared with last year and as Christmas approaches, it is set to increase dramatically. Some 53% of sprouts are eaten during the winter compared with 23% in spring, 16% in autumn and 8% in summer.
More than half of sprouts are consumed as part of the evening meal and 36% at lunch. The bias towards lunchtime is driven by eating sprouts as part of a traditional Sunday lunch, which accounts for more than a third of their consumption, compared with 19% of total vegetables.
Potatoes are the most common food consumed with sprouts, appearing on the same plate at 86% of occasions when sprouts are served. Some 56% of sprouts are eaten with gravy, 22% with chicken and 17% with beef, and 63% of sprouts feature at meals that take more than one hour to prepare and cook.
Some 63% of sprouts are eaten by the over-45s, easily the most health-conscious of consumers.
The older consumer has a much stronger association with sprouts than with other vegetables. They represent 49% of total consumption of sprouts.
The under-16s eat just 10% of sprouts, compared with 17% of total vegetables and 21% of total foods.
Produced for The Grocer by TNS. Year to May 2005.
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