BUT FIRST, BREAKFAST

BY ELENA DIMAMA

Top Tips From Premier Foods

1. Use secondary sitings and create an eye-catching dedicated breakfast display with the key products people will be on the lookout for – including cereal, porridge, pancake mixes and sweet treats as well as fruit and spreads, to inspire shoppers with products from trusted brands, such as Ambrosia Porridge and McDougalls Pancake Mixes.

2. To attract those in a rush, create point-ofsale displays so that consumers won’t miss convenient breakfast options like the Ambrosia Porridge Pots.

Convenience and speed are crucial for breakfast shoppers, with demand rising for options that can be consumed on the go or at home.

Brands looking to tap into the growing trend of health keep innovating, focusing on convenience and versatility, which could in turn help independent retailers capitalise on the growing category.

According to the latest data from Mintel, cereal, bakery and porridge are the three most popular options for food to be eaten at breakfast, followed by fruit.

A Healthy Start

“We found that some still enjoyed a bowl of cereal at home or at work, but for others they returned to previous behaviours such as picking up a snack bar on the way or buying breakfast with their morning co ee,” Darryl Burgess, Head of Sales for Weetabix, says. “ erefore, it’s been a promising time for breakfast drinks and bars which are again showing signs of long-term growth.”

According to Burgess, 7% of breakfasts were skipped at the beginning of 2022, which then dropped to 5% at the end of the year. “ e prediction for 2023 is this trend will continue as value-orientated shoppers look to snack a little less and focus more on three good meals a day, with a healthy breakfast that sets you up right for the day ahead,” he adds.

Health is one of the most noteworthy trends in the category with brands up and down the breakfast aisle vying for the healthiest credentials.

Courtney Lewis, Customer Director for Independent Convenience & Wholesale at Premier Foods, tells SLR: “Breakfast is o en considered the most important meal of the day – and for many, this means looking to healthier options. Recognising this, Ambrosia has created its porridge pots that contain British wholegrain oats, real fruit, as well as providing a source of protein, bre and calcium.”

Meanwhile, zero-added sugar in products is a highly sought option, which Dole has also recognised.

“A recent survey by StreetBees of nearly 50,000 consumers showed that the number one attribute sought when deciding on what to eat and drink was ‘no added or low sugar’ content. is should be front of mind for retailers when considering their breakfast o er and con rms Dole’s fruit in juice and fruit in jelly cups as very credible options, as all the variants have zero added sugar, arti cial sweeteners, or avourings, are less than 100 calories per serving, and come in convenient and recyclable packs which can be eaten at home or on the go,” Andrew Bradshaw, UK Sales Director at Dole Sunshine Company, notes.

Holy Coffee

Drinking is not to be undermined when thinking about breakfast sales; almost two-thirds (64%) of morning food-togo occasions involve co ee, according to Lumina Intelligence. Within this, ready-to-drink (RTD) co ee is becoming an increasingly popular breakfast choice, according to CocaCola Europaci c Partners (CCEP), with its own research showing that one in ve enjoy an RTD co ee with a morning snack.

“Costa Co ee’s RTD range is outperforming the segment by some margin, up 60.7% in value,” Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at CCEP, said. “ is success can be put down to the widespread popularity of Costa Co ee, the nation’s favourite co ee shop for the last 12 years, and the quality of what’s inside the can.”