According to latest KantarWorldpanel data on breakfast consumption, there has been a 0.6 per cent decline in the number of breakfast occasions in the past 12 months.
A recent article in The Grocer highlighted that breakfast consumption patterns have changed with consumption of cereals decreasing by 2.5 per cent year on year since 2009.
The core breakfast consumers are children representing 22 per cent of all breakfast occasions with a decrease in consumption by 1.1per cent over the past year. Cereals continue to be the preferred option for breakfast accounting for 52 per cent of breakfast occasions.
The number of UK consumers eating breakfast at home with their family had increased from 23 per cent in 2007 to 44 per cent in 2011, according to Bord Bia’s Periscope Biennial study but this trend has recently reversed with the number of breakfast occasions currently in decline with a year on year decrease of 0.3 per cent, according to KantarWorldpanel.
However, on-the-go options–including cereal bars, breakfast biscuits and porridge pots–represent an area of opportunity for food producers as demand grows for nutritious on-the-go breakfast products, and many traditional players are investing heavily in promoting and developing new variants, flavours and formats, including single serve sachets, pots and re-sealable pouches.
Weetabix and McVitie’s have launched Breakfast Biscuits in the past year supported by strong promotional and online campaigns. Kelloggs have launched Crunchy Nut Granola in a sleek zipper pouch, Yu! have developed a re-sealable pouch containing yogurt coated granola and fruit clusters and Whitworths have created a range of cereal toppings and sprinkles in flavours including orange and seed. Porridge has succeeded in moving to the convenience sector with manufacturers focusing on NPD with new instant product and packaging formats.
This is also in line with Bord Bia’s Consumer Lifestyle Trends – Keeping it Real and Quest for Health and Wellness – as consumers seek out a real, authentic breakfast option that they can trust and are looking for convenient and healthy food solutions that set children up for a healthy start.
By Linda Cullen, Food and Beverages Division, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board
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