Délifrance 2024 Prove It: Breaking Bread Report

Retailers and operators have an opportunity to tap into the £1.2bn rise in the UK bread market over the next two years, according to a new report from bakery supplier Délifrance.

The Prove It: Breaking Bread report

Published this month, the report predicts the UK’s £7.8bn bread market will grow by 15% to reach a value of £9bn by 2026. The report says businesses have a huge opportunity to take a slice of this growth by embracing evolving trends in the bread category such as:

Demand for specialty and world breads
Products using clean-label and regeneratively farmed ingredients
Bread that offers health benefits or caters to specialist diets
The impact of smaller bakeries on the wider market
Consumers’ response to the cost-of-living crisis

These topics and many more are examined in the report, which has been compiled following a survey of 1,000 UK adults who regularly eat bread and offers insight into bread consumers’ behaviour in and out of home. The report also makes use of Délifrance internal market estimates and insight, external market data and the experience and views of Harris & Hayes, one of the UK’s most trusted food consultants and future forecasters.

“Our latest Prove It report looks at the trends shaping the category, from the continued growth of sourdough to the opportunities offered by breads from across the globe,” says Délifrance marketing director Stéphanie Brillouet.

“We also take a deep dive into consumer attitudes to bread and examine what drives purchasing decisions, how consumption differs in and out of home, and the impact of consumers’ environmental and economic concerns.”

Among the findings are how well bread is weathering the economic crisis.

With bread seen as offering excellent value for money, more than a quarter of consumers cite a drop in their household budget as a reason for increasing their in-home consumption of bread. And despite the pressure on consumer spending, quality remains key. More than half of consumers (52%) say they choose where to buy bread from based on the quality of products sold and these consumers are most likely to shop at independent bakeries and supermarket ISBs.

“It’s an exciting time for the bakery category,” says Harris & Hayes. “Shoppers are responding well to innovation, with regional specialties, snacking and occasion-led bakery representing a significant growth opportunity. Retailers and operators will benefit from offering considered ranges that cater to a plethora of differing needs and budgets.”